Book One: Model Student
by savanasi
Summary: Kim embarks on a mission to seek out her parents who have seemingly disappeared. Jared tags along. The two form an awkward, grudging friendship prior to Jared's imprinting.
1. Promiscuous Boy

Disclaimer: Not my stuff, dearies. If it was, I wouldn't be publishing it here. ;) Title inspired by Nelly's Furtado's _Promiscuous Girl_

Author's Note: Thanks for giving it a whirl. Promise the next chapters will be longer, just seemed like an appropriate place to stop.

**Chapter 1: Promiscuous Boy**

"The key to proofs in geometry is the identification of the given knowledge and then a subsequent comparison to the desired outcome. We begin …" Mr. Darten's voice faded out as I glanced to my left.

Oh, Jared.

He was slouched in his seat, one arm dropped by his side the other lazily twirling a pen carelessly. Deep brown eyes cast ahead and slightly to the left. If you glanced quickly, he seemed to be paying attention.

But I was an artist and as such I knew how to follow lines of sight almost perfectly, and when you spend as much time as I did contemplating Jared's, it was easy to align his vanishing point with Tracey Russet's left hand, which was ever so slowly lifting her egg-shell yellow tiered skirt. Her nails, a stark russet, were a brilliant juxtaposition.

He smirked, one eyebrow cocked, challenging her. She matched him with an easy grin, and exposed a flash of emerald lace. My eyes widened in surprise, and I turned but it appeared I was the only one privy to their exchange. My classmates were subdued in the Friday afternoon stupor that is Geometry.

I took a deep breath, shaking my hair forward, and resumed my observation. Jared's smirk was gone. Instead his mouth was slightly tense, irritated. Confused I shifted my gaze upwards and let out a quick breath.

He was staring directly at me.

It seemed I'd been caught. Feeling a horrific blush moving in, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. It felt like a hoard of butterflies had taken over my stomach. I felt trapped in his gaze, but then he leaned forward, his elbow casually shoving his math textbook, which ground into my forearm. I jerked into action and immediately shifted my gaze forward.

My arm stung, the rough cardboard leaving a noticeable white trail in it's wake like a line of chalk on a blackboard, but I stayed stagnate. I couldn't risk drawing any further attention to myself.

The next five minutes and 16 seconds passed agonizingly and then a flurry of motion erupted as everyone rushed to the doorway at once, drawn out by the tantalizing sunshine that rarely ever graced the northwest.

I shook my head slightly, and hastily tucked my books into my bag before getting up, my hair forward in a last ditch attempt to avoid any and all further contact with Jared. I didn't think I could handle any more today.

I was almost to the door when Tracey careened past me, her mocha satchel missing my face by inches as she swung it over her shoulder. I leaned back just in time, and steadied myself on a desk.

At least this time, I didn't get caught.

Shrugging I walked out of the room, casting a wayward glance backwards, out of habit, to check my desk for anything I had left behind when I caught Jared staring at me for the second time in just under seven minutes. His eyes were narrowed, and he opened his mouth as if to say something but by the time the thought had been realized in his vocal chords I was out the door and on my way home.

I may have a soft spot for Jared, and his life, and his words and his decadent, milk-chocolate eyes…but there was no way I wanted to hear what he had to say to me.

'Cause really, if he was supposed to be dating Nina Russet and you just saw him eying her twin sister's goods, would you want to stick around for the aftermath?

I didn't think so.

Hi, my name is Kim. Welcome to my life.


	2. Hush Little Girl, Don't Say a Word

Disclaimer: Not mine, yo. Don't sue. Title inspired by _Hush Little Baby_.

Author's Note: Kind of a filler but hopefully not too boring. Thanks for reading y'all.

**Chapter 2: Hush Little Girl, Don't Say a Word**

The day dawned cold and miserable, the rain pouring down in great sheets. I crawled out of bed, sluggishly, my hands reaching blindly for the blaring alarm clock. I hesitated over the snooze button, considering the idea of a ten golden minutes tucked under the covers but my bladder convinced me otherwise. I slipped into the bathroom, answering nature's persistent call before stepping into the blazing hot shower.

My eyes opened slowly for the first time that morning as the scalding water hit my hair, and I picked up the shampoo bottle, my mind whirring over the events in Geometry yesterday. Thankfully, it was Saturday morning and as miserable as it was, I had places to be and no Jared to hide from. I was safe it seemed at least for the weekend.

Our A.P. Art professor had assigned our final projects two days ago, and I was dying to get a start on it. Art was my passion, I've been painting since kindergarten, and I haven't stopped since. Our final project was based on the articulation of a human model through watercolor.

That wouldn't be much of an issue, I thought to myself, looking out the small oblong window along the eastern wall of my bathroom. The rain showed no sign of letting up today but my business was indoors at Stroke, the newest paint store in Port Angeles that boasted an incredibly fine line of watercolors that I'd saved up for the past few weeks for.

Stepping out of the shower and toweling off, I breezed passed the fogged over mirror and into paint splattered jeans and an off the shoulder gray top. A vest, a beret and a set of navy boots later I was on my way out the door, submerged in a giant winter jacket and an even larger umbrella. The wait for the bus would be miserable but oh-so worth it.

The only problem about this project thus far was the identification of the subject, I assumed I'd stumble upon some grisly old man smoking a pipe on a forgotten bench somewhere in town and inspiration would strike. But knowing away at the back of my mind was the lack of novelty in stumbling upon a subject. My art teacher was forever insisting upon activity in art, choosing our subjects, choosing our colors, choosing our weather…the list went on and on.

Colors no problem, weather, well the weather on the reservation was fairly consistent so that was another check mark. But subject. Friends were not really my specialty, and my parents were occupied. My father worked in a law firm in Seattle, returning home for the weekends and my mother at a boutique down the street from him. I'd been given the opportunity to transfer with them but I'd been half way through high school and the thought of making new friends, and perhaps leaving a certain six foot two native swayed my decision to the negative. I was resolute and they, bless them, were busy and all too willingly to sign me checks and see me on the weekend. I worked for money though; they were always rather large fans of earning your supper.

It got a bit lonely, I suppose, on the weekends but in general, I was at ease on my own and I had Dante, my loyal top of the line security system to keep me safe.

I tightened my jacket, the cold seeping in through the neck of the fleece. My umbrella swayed slightly in the wind but I grasped it firmly and then maneuvered it shut quickly before jumping on the bus. It would be a long ride to Port Angeles, public transportation tended to slow down in the weather but it would be worth it.

* * *

The store proved to be prolific and I purchased a two hundred dollar set of 212 shades. I couldn't wait to put them to the test. I had just gotten off the bus, the rain having thankfully let up since I left this morning when a warm hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into an alley way.

I backed up, pushing my hair out of my face to be met eye-to-chest with Jared. He had placed a hand firmly behind my right shoulder and the other one maintained it's steady grip on my left.

"Hi." The word came out wavering and I tried to slow my heart, which was beating furiously, partly at the sudden shock and partly because of his proximity. I could smell the clean, expensive cologne that shrouded him, and his gunmetal fleece was softer than I could have possibly imagined when it brushed against me. It took all of my concentration not to give into the temptation of rubbing my achingly cold cheek into the material that was inches away from my face.

"Yeah. Look, I know you might think you saw something on Friday but you didn't. Got it?" His voice was tight and frustrated and I felt his fingers clench to enunciate his point. I grimaced slightly at the grip but he didn't seem to notice.

"Okay. Yeah-um, I didn't see anything." I stuttered out, my nerves getting the best of me. He was intimidating up close. I knew he wouldn't do anything horrible, Jared, all the bravado aside, was a fairly stand up guy. He was respectful to the elders, got decent grades and was nice to his girlfriends, although his gaze tended to wander.

His eyes cleared for a second and I think he noticed my wincing because his grip loosened significantly. I let out a breath as blood began to flow back into the region and the pin pricks of awareness set in.

"Uh, sorry about that." He looked a bit sheepish but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

"Nina and I just, we hit a rough patch okay, and I needed some space. And you know how Tracey is…" He started to ramble and I almost melted, his nerves were beyond adorable.

"Look, it's okay, just forget about it. I won't tell anyone." His face melted into relief and he shot a quick grin at me, and my knees liquefied. I leaned back against the brick wall, heavily, my hands finding purchase in the cracks to steady myself. I hadn't been on the receiving end of one of those in…well ever.

It was something; let me tell you.

He took a step back and then another, as if suddenly realizing our proximity.

"Thanks, uh, you're really helping me out."

"You're welcome." He nodded; pleased with himself but then almost as if he couldn't stop himself, he spoke again.

"I'll see you around…" His voice trailed off hopefully and I was at a loss before it hit me, and my heart dropped to my feet and rolled away down the corridor.

He didn't know my name.

"It's Kim." I supplied, my eyes on my feet, voice muted. Figures.

"Right, Kim, yeah." I could feel the shadow of remorse; he really was a nice guy.

"I owe you one." I looked up at him in surprise before my face melted into a smile. His eyes widened a little and I felt my heart roll back towards me a little. My palms started to sweat as he smiled at me again before backing out of the alley way quickly and shuffling off down the street.

I stayed there, unable to move for a good ten minutes until any wisp of him or his cologne had disappeared. Everything seemed colder and dimmer suddenly. My bag of paints, clutched in my hand seemed insignificant and I took a shaky step away from the wall. All of the need to paint had left my system and I slowly walked away, replaying and rewinding all the way home.

Suddenly I couldn't wait until Monday.


	3. SOLO

Disclaimer: NM, DS. Title inspired by Rhianna's _S.O.S._

Author's Note: Another post, this has to be a record for me, hopefully y'all are enjoying this! :) R'n'R people, like always. :D

**Chapter 3: S.O.L.O.**

Monday brought with it a hailstorm that would stall Hades in his tracks, but I got up and dressed for school anyway. My dark crimson duster over a simple black tank top and dark jeans were decent indoor wear but as always the thick winter coat came over everything.

Grabbing an apple and tucking it into my satchel, I peered out the window. The hail was coming down hard but had lightened since I woke up. I check my homework carefully, combing through all of Sunday's work before taking a bite out of my apple. If I was going to make it to school without bruises, I'd have to wait out the storm.

The flat screen adorning the wall adjacent to the balcony leading outside flickered to life and the news began to discuss the crime statistics in Seattle. A serial murderer had been identified as the cause of the disappearing citizens and was cause for concern. They'd raised the caution bars and were issuing out warnings that people avoid solo travel and the dark. I shivered slightly as the hail slammed against the glass balcony door, and my gaze went out into the heavy woods that lay just beyond my backyard fence. The trees seemed more menacing through the falling ice.

An environmental commercial cut into my reprieve and I muted the volume before reaching into my bag for my cell. My parents and I talked twice a week, Monday nights and Wednesday nights but as I dialed speed dial two, I couldn't help but think that an early call wouldn't be amiss. But alas, all I got was voicemail. I tired my dad but was met with the same result. Considering it was almost eight, both of them would be on their way to work, but still, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in my stomach.

I turned my gaze outside again and to my surprise the hail had stopped and if I looked carefully it even looked like some of the clouds were giving way to the periwinkle sky beneath.

I shouldered my bag and made my way out the front door, carefully locking the door and activating the security alarm before I left. Walking purposefully, I made it to school in just under fourteen minutes, and walked towards my locker.

Unloading my books for the remainder of the day, I took out my sketchbook to mess around with during homeroom, when clipped heels echoed to my right.

Tracey Russet. Oh _great._

"Hey Kim!" Her voice was snappy, her jasmine infused perfume wafting over my nose, and I struggled to breath for a second.

"Hey." I peered at her around my locker. She was leaning against the metal, examining a fingernail, before shifting her gaze to meet mine dead on. Her eyes were much colder than her voice had let on; she looked irritated.

"So about Friday…" But before she could start on that, I cut her off.

"Don't sweat it, Jared talked me already." My voice came out shakier than I'd have liked but I shrugged casually to complete the picture of nonchalance that I wanted to project.

She popped her gum, her fingers rapping on my locker door before she swung it shut suddenly and I leapt back clutching my hands to my chest. That loon had almost taken off my right hand!

"What're you doing?" I exclaimed in surprise.

"Just making sure you realize how serious this is." She loomed over me, her stilettos giving her a good three-inches over me.

"Yeah. I get it." I backed away but she shoved me back into the lockers, her manicured fingers clawing into my arm, I could feel them getting perilously close to piercing the skin.

"Good." She blew a bubble in my face before smiling sweetly, and walking off with a flounce.

I just caught my breath when another voice called my name; this one, much deeper.

Jared tapped my shoulder and I met his gaze before shifting my attention over to the petite brunette leaning against him.

"Hey guys." I smiled at Nina, she'd always been polite to me. Perhaps not nice but she'd stood up for me once when I spilled paint on her sister's new skirt. I never forgot about that.

"Everything okay? I saw Tracey shove you…" Jared trailed off and his gaze met mine meaningfully. I could see him seeking reassurance that I wouldn't say anything.

"Yeah, it's fine, just a misunderstanding." My heart plummeted again; it was probably too much to hope that he was just concerned. I rubbed my forearm uncomfortably as the impressions her nails had left on me began to sting. His gaze darted to my arm quickly but then before he could say anything Nina cut in.

"I'm sorry about her, she can be…impulsive." She smiled apologetically and I nodded.

"Sure." There was a silence and none of us knew quite what to say.

"I've gotta get to homeroom…" I began and the others agreed before leaving me and I sunk back against my locker. I think I liked it better when no one talked to me. All this socializing was stressing me out. I looked up and was surprised to see Jared's dark eyes on me. He tilted his head in query and I offered up a small smile in return.

_No big deal_.

Nothing concerning me ever was.

* * *

The rest of the day passed without much activity and I made it home just before the sun began to set. As we got closer to winter, the sun had been hurrying along it's journey across the sky. Soon it would be completely dark by the time my art sessions with Miss Martequoi got out.

Unlocking the door, I headed inside and set a pot of water to boil on the stove before unloading my stuff onto the couch. I set the table for one. I ran up to my room and brought down my laptop, a new macbook that my parents had gotten me for Christmas. I set up skype and had just finished logging in when the phone rang.

"Hey, this is Kim." My voice came out high pitched, I could feel the relief coursing through me. Still I chided myself, of course they were alright, they were perfectly safe in the upscale neighborhoods, there was no sense in worrying.

"Sweetheart, it's us, we just wanted to check in but we have to run out for a party tonight. It's your dad's firm's charity fundraiser."

"Oh that sounds great guys." My voice dropped slightly. I had been hoping to see them.

They had had to cancel their trip home this weekend because of an unexpected case for my dad. It had been almost three weeks since their last trip and the solitude was starting to weigh on me.

"Oh, honey, we're sorry to cancel on you." My mother sounded quieter.

"No no, it's fine, I've got some homework I really need to get to, anyway. I'll see you guys on Wednesday?" My voice perked up, I knew it was hard on them too and I didn't want to encourage their unease.

"That's my girl, we'll see you then, Kimmy." My dad's comforting tenor came over the phone before they chimed goodbye together and then hung up.

I switched my computer off and laid out dinner.

It appeared I'd be dining alone.


	4. It's a Quarter After Wednesday

Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue, yo. ;) Title inspired by Lady Antebellum's _Need You Now._

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews; you guys are way to kind! Hope you enjoy this next little bit. A bit of a filler chapter but I promise it'll start getting interesting soon! Also I dunno if anyone was curious about the timeline but this takes place before Twilight and will extend through new moon and possibly eclipse but I won't be following much of that storyline. Just the relevant bits. Okay, one with it! ;)

**Chapter 4: It's a Quarter after Wednesday, and I Need You Now**

Wednesday came and went with no word from my parents. Thursday brought with it a fresh covering of fog, smothering the reservation in downy, frigid air.

I gazed out my window, my stomach clenched with worry, another kidnapping having been reported over the news just last night. My parents tended to be scatterbrained when it came to checking in, but generally I got some sort of email. But there was still no word and as I feverishly refreshed my browser, I was met with a consistent but disheartening lack of news. The downstairs clock chimed eight and I resignedly packed my things and headed out for school, double-checking both the alarm and the house phone for messages on my way out.

It was colder than I had expected, my dark violet pea coat fluttering in the breeze, pushing arctic air against my legs. I would have to start breaking out the thermals.

A crash echoed out behind me and I whipped my head around but the streets were empty, stray leaves burned with autumn orange fluttering around the sidewalk. The houses on my street were some of the larger ones on the reservation but their windows were blank and their doorways even more so. The streets were deserted.

The woods towered on the edges of our cul-de-sac, the evergreens swaying gently in the breeze, their mighty branches far too sturdy to submit to the winter wind. Another crash rung out into the air and I whipped forward this time, but still nothing. My heart started to race as I quickened my gait and made my way towards the main road that led through town to our quaint school located on the western outskirts. I glanced behind me one more time and the woods seem to beckon, their mischievous leaves whispering against each other and darting here and there. The edges began to blur and it was almost as if the entire forest were changing shape.

I let out a deep breath before starting to jog. So what if the woods weren't supposed to be scary in broad daylight, they were starting to freak me out. I hurried along, almost breaking a sweat.

And as I crossed the street into town, and people started emerging around me, I couldn't help but feel relieved. I smiled at Billy Black as he wheeled passed me into a store, yelling for Jacob.

And as the wind whipped my cyan scarf around my neck, I turned back once more and gasped. I could've sworn I saw a pair of eyes gazing at me from the woods, but when I looked again, they were gone. I felt the hair on the back of my neck prickle and the unease at my parents' sudden disappearance doubled. Something gave me the feeling that I was next.

I didn't like it.

* * *

My locker brought with it another unwelcome surprise, a blue note from my art instructor informing me that my proposal session was today. I had yet to find a model. Looks like I had three hours to come up with one.

My mind briefly remembered my encounter with Jared over the weekend.

"_I owe you one."_

But I shoved the mutinous idea to the side as soon as it had appeared. I could barely handle being around Jared for a few minutes let alone the several hours it would take to paint him. Although, I suppose as far as aesthetic appeal went, he was without question my number one choice. I could even say it was a topless photo shoot. Who was I to question the rules…?

A locker slamming down the corridor brought me back to my senses and I tinged pink, fanning myself slightly with the envelope. It was getting a little warm, wasn't it?

"Thinking of me?" I almost shrieked at the sudden shadow that fell over me.

"What? Uh, no-" I could barely string the words together, my mind jumbled. There was no way he could actually know, right?

"Chill, I was just kidding." Jared smirked at me, before leaning against the bank of lockers that extended out past mine. I took my time to pull out the books I'd need for the day, wanting time to still my shaking hands.

"Yeah, sorry, just a little out of it today, I guess." I chuckled nervously before pushing some of my hair out of my eyes.

I snuck a glance at him but he seemed perfectly content just to stay there.

"Can I-uh, help you?" The words were out before I could stop them, and I could have smacked myself. If the boy was fine just lingering, who was I to question his judgment.

"What?" He looked at me in surprise, as if he hadn't realized I was still there.

"You're still here, did you want…?" I trailed off, my words coming out mumbled and inarticulate but he just grinned suddenly and shook his head.

"Nah, I'm just waiting for Nina." He motioned to a locker about two down from mine. I almost moaned at my stupidity, off course he was. I let out a soft chuckles before nodding at him.

It was an odd sense of loss that I felt at that moment and I could not put my finger on it. But it was later, when I was at home in my bed, tucked under the covers that I realized that some small part of me had been hoping that we would strike up some sort of friendship. Perhaps we would not be the secret-handshake-simultaneous-spitting-to-the-side kind of friends; but, at the very least, the kind of acquaintances who talked in the halls and shared a mutual hatred for homework on Friday afternoons.

"I guess I'll see you around, Jared." I said, my voice startlingly composed and he smiled at me, but it was slightly strained as if he was doing it out of obligation.

"Yeah." His face melted into a warm smile then and my heart quickened before I followed his line of sight over my left shoulder and onto the face of an equally sunny, Nina Russet. Feeling wistful, I backed away and walked out of the hallway quickly, blinking a little harder than usual; the air just seemed so much colder now.

But my mind was occupied with other things than Jared and his most recent girlfriend; my parents still hadn't called me. I checked my phone again before turning it off for class, wishing desperately that the next time I checked it; I'd see a missed call.

* * *

Lunch came quicker than I thought it would, considering my state of distraction, but after darting into the library, and turning on my phone I was still met with disappointing results. I sank down onto the carpet by the fiction aisle and racked my brain for places they could have gone.

The last time I had heard from them, they had been on their way to my father's charity ball. I could call his firm to check in with his secretary to see if he made to work today. And if not, find out what his schedule was like. My mother would be harder to locate, she ran the boutique alone, a Herculean task but her profits, she claimed, made it completely worth it. But I knew some of her more regular customers from when I worked for her over the summer and so hopefully they could clue me in. Next would be the neighbors.

I kept compiling and lunch was over before I realized, but I felt slightly better if not in more control of my life. I had a plan, which was far more than I had before. My parents were fine, I told myself. I would make the calls and find out what I already knew: they were just busy.

I walked into my advanced art classroom, waving a quick hello to Miss Martequoi who was under a large frame attempting to mount it on the wall.

She waved off my offer of help, almost losing her purchase on the wooden frame but catching it at the last second.

I seated myself and waited patiently for class to begin, resolutely turning my phone off.

"Welcome class, I trust you all had pleasant weekends." There was a murmur of agreement before she continued.

"Well, we're going to continue with the one to one meetings about your final projects so in the mean time, I advise anyone not meeting with me to be working on preliminary sketches and color identification."

My stomach dropped. I had forgotten all about the search for my model. I cast a look around my classmates but no one else looked that concerned. I scanned the room for anyone I could convince to model for me but not a single person came up. Besides, it seemed almost like cheating to use a student in your art class.

"Kim, if you'd like to come up here, we can get started with you. Everyone else, get to work."

I got up shakily, nervously scanning through something, anything to say to her.

"Sit down, dear." She offered kindly, her delicate black eyes, sparkling and I felt a rush of gratitude. I was forgetting myself. She was not the type of teacher to take laziness lightly but I'm sure she'd understand my inability to locate the perfect subject. A mutinous corner of mind reminded me of Jared's offer but again I shoved it aside.

"So, what have you got so far?"

"I, um, I've purchased my water colors but the subject has been evading me." I looked up at her, apologetically, my hands wringing together on my lap. Her smile tightened almost imperceptibly but then she nodded.

"I thought this might happen. Kim, you need to be active, you have to talk to people, you have to seek out their source. It will not just fall to you."

"Yes, ma'am."

She paused for a second.

"Take this afternoon to seek out someone who you puts you out of your comfort zone. Talk to them, find a point of connection, and then draw that. I want to see a kindred spirit in your work Kim, you're sketches are beautiful but they lack the power of persuasion. I need to see someone in your artwork who you make believable because of the connection you feel to them, okay?" I nodded numbly.

She smiled then.

"You've got incredible potential Kim, I just want to see you connect with someone, I know you don't find that easy." I nodded again, blinking quickly.

"I'm trying."

"Is everything alright, Kim? At home, I mean. I know your parents are gone a lot." I suppose I could have told her everything then, explained my worry, described the loneliness I felt. But I didn't. I just nodded again.

"No, everything's fine! I speak with them almost every night." The lie was startling easy to give and the smile I plastered on my face even more so.

"They're coming home this weekend, it's my birthday." That was partially true, it was my birthday on Sunday, but I was less sure that they were going to make it.

She seemed to see through me but she nodded anyway, her smile darkening.

"That's wonderful. I'll speak with you again on Tuesday, try to have a subject for me by then, okay?" She reached forward then, her hand engulfing mine and I had to blink hard to stave off the tears. It had been a long time since I'd had that much personal contact with someone.

"I'm here Kim, even if you just want to talk about your homework, you know that right?"

"Yeah." The word came out a little strangled but I nodded.

"Thanks." That one was more of whisper.

She pulled back, her eyes a little misty, before giving me a final smile.

"Get Stuart, will you? He's up next." I nodded weakly before getting up.

My fingers ached to switch my phone on, but I resisted, sitting on them firmly once I'd gotten back to my seat.

'_My parents were fine, my parents were fine_,' I chanted over and over in my head.

They had to be.


	5. Sitting, Waiting, Wishing, Wanting

Disclaimer: NM, DS. Title inspired by Jack Johnson's _Sitting, Waiting, Wishing. _

Author's Note: Thanks for all the lovely reviews, I managed to finish studying a bit earlier than anticipated today and had time to type this little addendum out. Sorry it's so short, but I hope y'all enjoy it anyway! :)

**Chapter 5: Sitting, Waiting, Wishing, Wanting**

I had just reached my locker, my phone in my right hand and my maroon messenger bag in my left, when I worked up the courage to check if my parents had called. Dropping my bag on the linoleum floor, I leaned heavily against my locker before carefully flicking it on.

The black screen flashed on, the little bars stacking next to each other and then finally after an excruciating ten seconds, I reached the home screen and it was blank. I moved it around a little to make sure I had reception but nothing.

My hand started to tremble but I bit back the flood of anxiety I felt coming, my fingers gripping my phone tightly, the nail beds turning white with the pressure. My head clunked against the lockers and I took deep calming breaths.

The plan. The plan I had spent so long coming up with during lunch finally registered in my brain and I feverishly dialed my father's secretary and bit my lip as the dull automated voice came over claiming the lines were occupied and the offered me a free consultation if I scheduled an appointment. Two agonizing jingles later, I was back in business.

"This is Cecilia for Darcy, Danton and Derrick, how may I help you?"

"Hey Cecilia, it's Kim." My voice trembled slightly but I bit my lip, the sharp pinching sensation distracting my nerves for a second.

"Kim! How are you?" Her voice changed, the pitch raising almost disturbingly so, and I could hear her false nails tapping on the polished mahogany desk I ordered for them last year.

"I'm great. Um, how're you?" I couldn't do it; I almost wanted to hang up now.

"Fine." It was silent and then before I could tell her that I would call back later, she started up again, the words jumbling together almost faster than I could comprehend.

"Sweetie, have you heard from your father? He hasn't been into the office in nearly three days, we've been trying to locate him but we've been stuck with the voicemail at the condo and your mom's boutique keeps going to the answering machine."

"We thought about calling the police but he mentioned that he'd be out of town on Tuesday and that he wasn't sure when he was coming back so we figured he'd stay in touch, but he hasn't emailed since then and the big case is coming up so we're getting a little nervous. We didn't want to worry you though, Kimmy, we know you're by yourself out there."

And suddenly her words hit home. I was _alone_. I felt the tears coming in and but I had to keep it together. I wasn't home yet and there was still plenty I could do to find them. They were fine, just out of Internet and cell reception, I was sure of it. It had to be the case. I shoved my head against the locker behind me before answer in a tight voice.

"I haven't but I'll let you know if I hear from him."

She was quiet then. Her breathing quickening, slightly and I felt almost like she was starting to cry.

"Do-do you want to come up here for a few days?" Her breathing hitched at the end of that and I almost started laughing at the irony. My parents were missing and my father's secretary was _crying_.

"No, no, I have school, but I think we should tell the police, you know, file a-a-missing person's report." I barely got the sentence out. She agreed softly before apologizing for not contacting me before.

"Have you checked with any of the neighbors?"

"I called the occupants of the three floors above and below you parent's condo in addition to the landlord but no notices of extended departure were made. Their newspaper was still coming regularly so they can't have expect to have been gone for longer than a week. It's only been three days, Kim. I'm not unsure that he'll walk in tomorrow morning, right as rain and ready to get down to business." I grimaced at her colloquialisms, but I couldn't bear to bring her down. Three days was a long time when anything could have happened. Besides, they would have contacted me if they were going out of town. And she had heard from him by email, not by phone. I filled that piece of information away for later. I decided to ask her about my mother.

"What about my mother's customers?" I tried to remember all the venues of contact I had listed at lunch.

"No, we didn't have any access to that, but I personally went by the store but there was no sign of a disturbance there. It was however, closed. I couldn't go in without breaking the lock."

"Okay, I have school tomorrow but I can make it up this weekend with the spare set of keys and we can check out the store."

"Oh honey, I'm sorry…I would come with you but, I have to watch my kids. Listen, I'll find a sitter and-" I felt terrible then, she had her own family to worry about but she was still finding all this time to figure out my situation.

"No, no I'm fine, you really don't need to come."

"I don't like the idea of you going alone, Kim. You should have someone with you in case-" She broke off there but I took in a harsh breath, we both knew what she was going to say. In case the worst transpired, in case they were _dead._ The word was wrong even just in my mind. I petulantly tucked it away. That was …not anything I would consider yet. There was still far too much hope.

"Well, you shouldn't be alone." She finished rather lamely, her voice quieting.

"I won't." I pointed out abruptly and before I could stop myself, another lie tumbled out of my mouth.

"I'll bring my boyfriend." I slammed my head back at my stupidity, what was I thinking?

"Your boyfriend." She sounded incredulous. Strike one for my social life, I thought to myself. Even my father's secretary who lived in another city and saw me every couple of months couldn't conceive the notion that I had a boyfriend.

"Yes." I stuck my chin out petulantly. She seemed resigned however.

"Okay, well, let me know what you find and if you need anything, _anything _at all Kim, I'm here." That was the second time someone had made that offer to me today. They didn't realize how dangerous an offer it was.

"Yeah. Thanks, Cecilia." I let the warmth drip into my voice, I really was grateful.

"I want to find them too, sweetheart. I'll call the police and since they've been justifiably missing for at least 24 hours, they can take action."

"Let me know."

"I will." There was a long pause then, neither of us seemed to want to end the phone call, but as the gravity of the situation set in, I realized that I needed to face the music sooner or later.

Might as well get it over with.

"Be careful, Kim, the news has been talking about the serial-" But before she could finish that sentence I abruptly interjected some sort of strangled agreement and then said goodbye.

She hung up then and the dial tone bleared through into my ear but I could barely summon the energy to shut the phone. The calm I expected once I finished the call was distinctly absent, in its place my mind erupted into a frenzy of activity, all the possible scenarios, running through my head at lightening speed and I started to feel dizzy and a little nauseous.

Everything blurring before me, and I vaguely remembered shutting the phone before my knees gave out and I slid down the lockers, hitting the ground hard and a burst of air expelled of my chest, jarring me into awareness. But I couldn't get up. I just sat there numb.

I had to find them; there was no other option. But, first the first time in a very long time, I wished that I had a friend I could go talk to. But the closest thing I had was Miss Martequoi, but I couldn't. She was the one person who took my art as seriously as I did and I didn't want to compromise our relationship by burdening her with my personal problems.

I didn't know what to do.

I sat there for a while, it felt like forever but then the hallways started to fill, so it must have only been about ten minutes. Art always got out before everyone else. People passed by me, hardly noticing my taciturn, stagnate posture on the floor. I bent my head to my knees to avoid anyone seeing my face, and so I could hide the few tears that did slip out. I wouldn't cry though, that would come later when I had no hope at all. I had just hit a dead end. And so I sat. And waited for inspiration to strike. And then…

"Kim?" I shuddered hard at the sudden sound of my name so close to my ear, but perhaps it was actually at the flood of heat that came with it and the decadent scent of Jared's cologne.


	6. Don't Stop Deceivin'

Disclaimer: Not mine; don't sue. ;) And the title is inspired, of course, by Journey's _Don't Stop Believin'_

Author's Note: You've all been so incredibly kind with your reviews that I couldn't resist popping up another chapter before I turned in for the night. Hope y'all enjoy it. :)

**Chapter 6: Don't Stop Deceivin'**

My shoulders hunched in surprise and I shifted slightly, surreptitiously wiping away the last few of my tears before looking up at him. He was kneeling next to me on the floor, his faded jeans, and azure fitted polo framing him wonderfully. I could feel my heart lightening at the sight of him. It was curious the connection I had always felt with him. It was hard to describe, as if, we were friends before I could remember. I used to chalk it up to an escapist complex and my inability to move past a teenage crush. But at this moment, it felt so incredibly right to have him here when I needed someone.

Didn't mean I could get carried away though; in the real world, Jared and I were barely acquaintances.

"Hey." I offered a tentative smile but from the widening of his eyes, I could tell it was unsuccessful.

"Are- are you okay?" He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable in this situation of nurturer. I felt guilty then, he was nice enough to consider my feelings and here I was forcing him to make all the conversation.

"Yeah, I uh-" but I drew a blank, I couldn't think of anything to fill the silence with other than the truth, but as the silence stretched on and his discomfort mounted, I realized that that particular venue had never really been open.

Perhaps it was fate, or perhaps it was just gravity, but at that moment the blue note from earlier which I must have stuck back in the crevice of my locker came fluttering down and landed on my head.

He smirked at me, and I swear if I hadn't already been sitting down, my knees would have given out like you wouldn't believe.

He grabbed the paper and conducted a cursory scan before a knowing look came across his face.

"This have anything to do with it?" He seemed immensely relieved at the simplicity of the problem and for a second I was too, it was nice to take a moment's reprieve from the angst-ridden sojourn that today had been.

"Yeah, yes. I mean I was just getting a little overwhelmed. Nothing major." I shrugged a shoulder casually, shaking my hair forward to cover up any signs of my dishonesty. But as I was learning today, I was an impeccable liar. I wasn't certain what to do with that, really.

The panic that I had felt consuming me just minutes before had faded into resolution as a plan began to form in my head.

"Did you find a model?" He leaned back on his heels and got up and then to my complete surprise offered me a hand.

I blinked and just as I was reaching for it, I heard Nina calling his name from behind me and he rescinded the chivalrous offer.

I ran my hand awkwardly back across the lockers as if I'd been aiming for them all along before pulling myself to my feet and dusting off the seat of my jeans. I felt my cheeks heat up.

"Hey baby," he cooed at her, his voice buttery and sinful and I felt my heart shatter just a little bit. Now, however, was not exactly the time to remorse over the lack of reciprocity but rather to convince a certain young man to join me on my rendezvous to Seattle.

I looked away for a second, my resolve faltering as he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and neatly tucked her into his side.

"Jared, I was wondering if I could do you?" I blurted out, before any insecurity or anxiety stopped me. I needed him. And just once, I was going to make sure I got him.

Nina raised an eyebrow at me, her mouth smiling but her eyes tensed. He seemed surprised as well.

"As in paint you, for my project, I mean." I finished haphazardly. I couldn't seem to move my gaze from my feet as I waited for an answer.

"Kim, I-" I could feel him declining but I needed company incase I met Cecilia. How do I make this seem like I wasn't doing this with an ulterior motive? And then it hit me, of _course._

"Bring Nina, I mean would you like to come as well? I can paint the two of you together, you have such wonderful chemistry, it'd be amazing for my final."

Nina let out a breath and I glanced up at her, she looked surprised. Not unhappy, though.

It was romantic, I supposed, a painting of you with the love of your life.

"I'll comp the travel and everything-" I continued, running costs in my head to see if I could handle it; I had enough to cover us.

"Okay." She smiled at me, and then laughed lightly, twirling a lock of hair around a manicured fingernail. I snuck my own hands into my back pockets.

"Jared, it'll be so wonderful to have a _painting _of _us_, won't it?" He looked down at her, resigned but obviously too fond of her to care too much and I had to look away. It was intimate.

"Yeah, I guess, it couldn't hurt." He looked at me, suddenly, his gaze penetrating and I plastered a victorious smile on my face that I was sure didn't quite reach my eyes but I clapped my hands anyway.

"Thanks, guys, you're really helping me out."

"Wait, why aren't we doing it here?" He sounded suspicious and I stalled for a second before remarking about the metropolitan backdrop of Seattle being the perfect inspiration for something as elemental and electric as young love.

He was silent though his face unreadable and I saw Nina out of the corner of my eye glance up at him curiously before turning to me.

"That sounds fine, Kim. I'd be chill with doing it closer to home but hey if you're offering to pay…" She trailed off, winking suggestively at me, before moving behind Jared to her locker.

I laughed and agreed good humouredly before turning back to Jared who hadn't said anything yet.

"You still in?" I smiled, pleadingly and I saw his eyes soften slightly and he nodded before turning abruptly towards Nina.

I let out a breath. Well, I thought to myself, at least they agreed.

Now I just needed to come up with an excuse to drop by the boutique and my house and search around a little but that seemed like child's play compared to this.

I spun the combination to my locker and pulled the door open before taking out the few books I'd need for my homework.

I dropped my bag to the floor then and rested my hands on the inside of my locker, the picture of my parents and myself when I was about ten.

I traced their faces, remembering that day. It had been a Saturday morning and my dad had just come in from getting the paper and he'd wrapped his arms around mom and then shot a cheeky grin at me before swatting her on the rear.

_"John!" She played furious for only a few minutes before spraying him with dishwater from the sink._

_ "Lucy!" He yelled back mockingly, his face cracked in half with the smile on his face and before she could stop him he'd hoisted her over his shoulder and brought her to the table._

_ "Kim, how're we going to punish this woman for her atrocious crime."_

_ But I just shook my head at their crazy antics; I'd never seen a couple so in love as those two. It was clear my parents lived for each other. _

_ "Stick her in the pool, dad." I winked at mom who flicked the soapsuds on her hands at my hair, I responded with the butter on the table and then we'd gotten into an all out food fight, resulting in the three of us jumping into the pool covered with syrup, bit of pancakes, tea and whatever else was around. _

The pool-cleaning bill had been expensive but that had been one of my favorite memories. My nanny had snapped a picture of the three of us jumping into the water from upstairs and it had graced my locker ever since.

My heart sank, weight of their absence reaching it's full potency, the earlier distractions fading.

I dug my fingers into my palms, and leaned my head against the corner of the metal in front of me. Deep breaths, I thought to myself. It'll all be over soon.

Giggling echoed out to my right and I whipped my head around to see Jared teasingly tickling Nina, his fingers running gracefully around her stomach as she buried her head in his chest, laughing.

His head rose and our eyes met for a second and I saw the grin fade as he took in my face and I blinked rapidly, smiling half-heartedly before waving and shutting my locker.

It would be a long, lonely walk home. But I had plenty to think about. But for some reasons it felt like the further I walked away from that corridor and my locker, the further I got from home. That picture was all I really had. I turned for a second, considering going back and getting it but Jared and Nina had displaced themselves in their canoodling, his hands pressed firmly at her waist, planting her directly in front of my locker.

Guess not, I thought wearily to myself.

Hands crossed over my chest, I walked away down the hall, running scenarios and locations in my mind for the weekend, forgetting all about my satchel, which was still on the floor below my locker.

The air outside was almost humid, but the wind was arctic as ever, slicing through the moisture. I walked quickly, my steps short and meticulous. I avoided the cracks the nursery rhyme grimly echoing through my head.

_Step on a crack; break your mother's back._

I shivered in the wind. Superstitions were just that, superstitious, but all the same, I thought to myself as I stepped carefully over another crack, the odds weren't entirely in my favor as it was.

"Kim! Wait up, you forgot your bag." I looked behind me in surprise to see Jared, jogging towards me, Nina nowhere in sight.


	7. So This is Your Maverick

Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue. :) title inspired by _Vienna_, by the Fray.

Author's note: Sorry about the delay, just got my practice books in, which is why this is unfortunately a bit short, but I promise the next one will be longer to make up for it, as we'll be going to Seattle in the next chapter. You guys are awesome with the reviews, thanks for paying such lovely attention to my little ditty. Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 7: So This is Your Maverick, This is Paris**

The year I was to turn seven, I was convinced it was my destiny to summer in Paris because there I would meet prince charming ( William to be exact) and we'd run away to Barcelona and paint together for the rest of our lives. My parents thought my dreams were delightfully amusing and listened to me with rapt attention until I told them I expected them to finance the trip.

They chuckled in amusement and tousled my wavy black hair before explaining to me that one day I would go to Paris but this year was not quite possible. I threw a fit. I'd never been more upset in my life. All I could see was their inability to understand my artistic dream and I was furious. I cried for two days. And then my father took me a side and I'll never forget what he told me.

_We are in charge of our own destinies, Kimmy. If you want to go to Paris, then go, but of you must go of your own merits and not ours. You see? If you go of your own merit, no one can stop you._

I started saving that day and on my seventh birthday, I took my father aside and told him that I had meticulously saved 42 dollars and 14 cents and was it enough to go to Paris, _please_. Dear William was waiting for me, and I couldn't bear the thought of him losing faith in me.

He had smiled then, his eyes tearing up slightly but before I could ask, my mother had come in and the two of them had taken me to the windowsill and sat me down.

_"Sweetheart, we've seen you tuck away all your allowances for the past few month and we're very proud of you." My father tousled my locks._

_ "So," my mother continued, "we got you a little present that we thought would reward you." _

_ My dad picked up their string of words now, his face exuberant in the light of the rising dawn. _

_ "And here its." With a flourish he handed me a small, flat rectangular envelope with my name on it. I should it lightly and grimaced in disappointment. I supposed it wasn't the pony or the easel I'd been hoping for._

_ Instead it was three tickets to Paris for a plane that would leave in two days and I threw myself at them in glee. The three of us danced around the living room as my father belted out La Marseillaise in a deep, booming baritone that had us in tears. We spent the summer on the borders of Nice, lounging in our vacation home, which had been passed down to my father on his mother's side. I went to what felt like every art museum in France that summer but I'm sure it was really only a handful, they were so incredibly large, and decadent. __I never met Prince William, but I did meet Harriet, the little girl next door. We became fast friends, rolling around in the grasses, painting the sunsets and dining on fresh cheeses and breads every night._

I never forgot that summer, and now as I waited for Jared to run up and meet me with my bag I felt charged with that same sense of resourcefulness. My father's words would not go to waste, I was in charge of my own destiny, which meant that I would find my parents and bring them home. And that was that.

Jared arrived then, panting slightly, his form straightening to his full height. I took a step forward and grabbed my bag from him before taking a step back.

"Thanks." I smiled at him.

"Sure, uh-" he rubbed his neck again, and I filed that little nervous tick of his away carefully.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry you couldn't-uh, see it." He finished lamely, his eyes narrowed in frustration, but he flashed a smile at me, his teeth dazzlingly white against his lovely skin, which was almost gamboge in this light.

I smiled faintly before nodding. I wished I had something to say but my mind was running completely blank.

"Hey, so when do you want to do this thing?" He was looking slightly passed my left shoulder as he said it and I flipped my head around and saw Nina Russet walking towards us. I spoke quickly, wanting to wrap up our conversation before she arrived. The girl made me nervous.

"I was thinking Saturday, maybe?" I wanted to be home on Sunday, they wouldn't miss my birthday, I knew that. If I didn't locate them on Saturday, they would be coming back on Sunday, and they were probably going to surprise me.

"Oh, uh, yeah sure. That sounds great, do you want me to pick you up?" I looked at him in surprise.

"I said I would cover us for getting there." I smiled at him.

"Yeah but, I noticed you didn't have a car, so I thought driving would be easier than taking a shuttle."

"We're not taking a shuttle." He looked thoroughly confused and I was enjoying every minute of this. It was rare that I got to control the flow of the conversation. You see, my parents weren't exactly poor, rather, they made a considerable amount of money; we were one of the few wealthy families in the area. But I liked to keep off the radar. I walked to school by choice, the Audi waiting for me the garage would have turned heads and I didn't like the attention. But just this once, as Jared and Nine _were_ doing me a rather large favor, I thought I'd, splurge a little.

As a rule, my trust fund went untouched but considering the circumstances and the number of places I planned on going to for inspiration, it was a necessary. Besides, this was hardly going to dent it. I was given full access on my sixteenth birthday, just before they left for Seattle in case of emergency. My allowance easily covered the rest.

But my affinity for painting supplies tended to leave me with very little saved on that front.

"So what're we taking?" I snapped back to attention, and felt my face heat up. I must have spaced out for a second.

"It's a surprise." I smiled at him, a bit mischievously and then waved at him lightly before turning away and walking home.

I heard Nina run up to him in the background and ask him what we were talking about. And then I heard him mumble something that was no doubt meant to charm her because she started giggling, our conversation forgotten in her mind.

But for the first time, in a long, long time, I felt like I'd gotten the upper hand.

And it felt _good._


	8. Rooftops on High Rises

Disclaimer: Not mine, title's inspired by _My Favorite Things_ from the Sound of Music.

Author's Note: Sorry about the horrendous delay guys! I was bed-ridden for a couple days after getting my wisdom teeth out. Updates will hopefully be much more frequent after this! Hope you enjoy it.

**Chapter 8: Rooftops on (High)Rises**

My father had always woken up with the sun, and he was forever teasing my mother for her dreary bedside manner. She could comfortably sleep until noon but once she started her boutique, her sleeping hours shifted considerably and she started rising before my father. He'd often wake up and she'd be hunched over her desk, working away.

So he'd creep over to my room and wake me up and together we'd make mom breakfast. Every morning when I was younger, but as the years went by and I started going to bed later and later due to painting or homework the tradition shifted to Saturday mornings. However even after they moved away, my father made it a point to get here on Friday so that every Saturday morning my mother would have her breakfast in bed.

Today I awoke with the sun but my father was absent. I blinked blearily around the room but his quiet shuffling footsteps were nowhere to be found, instead the house was empty, completely silent except for the dull creaking of the wood as it expanded with the rising dawn.

I shifted over in my bed and tried to quell the wave of disappointment that flooded over me. Part of me had been hoping that somehow my parents would be here today.

I got out of bed and made my way slowly to the bathroom, taking time to condition my hair and shave my legs slowly for once. I spent almost half an hour in the shower and by the time I left, my fingers were well pruned. I wandered around the room in my bathrobe for an hour, tidying and carefully selecting an outfit for the day. Girlfriend or not, I was spending an entire day with Jared. I couldn't just wear anything.

I settled on light blue skinny jeans, and white Mediterranean-esque stilettos that had a several concentric rows of white beads that encircled my ankles. On top I pulled on a simple cream colored off the shoulder cashmere sweater. My hair had dried almost completely and so I French braided my hair in halves, my hair parted slightly asymmetrically, a few curls falling loose immediately.

I dusted my lids with mahogany eye shadow and ran a stroke of mascara across my lashes. Finally a dusky rose lip-gloss and I felt presentable.

I enjoyed my wardrobe. My mother, somewhat of a fashion icon herself, ran an incredibly popular boutique and thus her own constant perusal of the latest trends paid off for me. The two of us spent lazy Sunday afternoons flipping through magazines and visiting new shoe stores to check out the competition. As such my wardrobe was filled with heels upon heels, coats upon dresses but my school wear tended to remain fairly conservative to avoid attention. No one at school even knew where I lived.

But it was only eight o'clock. We had decided that I would pick them up around nine at the end of Geometry and so I had about an hour to kill so I figured that I'd run the regular checks for my parents and make a few phone calls to finalize my visits for today before double checking the art supplies I'd packed last night.

I finished everything and was in the car out front, our wonderful driver Frank, as chipper as ever. He had not seen my parents but I asked him only if they'd confirmed their ride to the airport for tomorrow morning, which they had not but he offered no further information. I decided not to press on either, there was no use worrying more people.

We pulled up to the corner around Jared's house; his street was too narrow for the limo to turn around in so I hopped out to go grab him.

"Thanks, Frank!" I called out behind me, wrapping on the window lightly as I passed.

I knocked on the door, wiping my palms on my jeans as they started to sweat a little, perhaps we should have picked Nina up first, after all; at least then she'd be around to break any awkward silences around Jared.

But we were here and I'd already knocked so I focused on the positive, that I would have him all to myself for a few minutes.

And then the door opened and Jared walked out, pausing for a moment to run his eyes down my figure and I felt my confidence take a jump. He noticed! He noticed!

His eyes scanned back up to my face and I waited, hesitantly for what would happen next. But before he could say anything, Nina peeked out behind the door, her hair mused and her lip gloss smudged just a bit, and I felt my high spirits deflate at the image she presented.

"Nina! You're here, how…convenient; though, we would have come and gotten you." I said in surprise as she followed him out the door.

"Oh I spent the night." She said breezily as she passed me, and remaining high from Jared's appraisal suddenly dropped and I sucked in a breath. Of course they had sex. I should have known that. But suddenly I felt slightly sick, and a bit betrayed which was absolutely ridiculous. However, I comforted myself with the fact that I didn't know they had sex, just that Jared was an incredibly attractive teenage boy, and that Nina Russet wasn't known for her self control. She was perfectly lovely, otherwise, I reminded myself. Perfectly _lovely. _

I heard Jared whisper her name warningly and she shrugged before rolling her eyes at him.

"So where's our ride?" She looked in my direction, an eyebrow jutting up. I smiled at her then, I was excited, I'd never had friends to spoil before. Today would be enjoyable in its own right.

"Just around the corner." I clapped my hands lightly and Jared shot me a smile but Nina just nodded and motioned for me to lead the way.

"I hope you guys enjoy it, I just wanted to thank you for helping me out."

"_Sick_. Do we seriously get to take this to Seattle?" Jared shot a gaze back at me, his face excited and visibly impressed. I felt a small pulse of pride at the fact that I had made that face happen. Even Nina seemed impressed and offered me a smile but hers was a bit tighter. I smiled brightly at her, hoping to ease her tension but she just looked away.

"Yeah, she's ours all day. Oh and of course, guys meet Frank. Frank, this is Jared and his girlfriend Nina, my models for the day."

They exchanged greetings, Jared making a few comments about the limo before assuring Frank that we could get in on our own and opening the door for us himself.

I moved to get in but Nina jumped in ahead of me and I stepped back into Jared, almost pressing my stiletto into his foot but side stepping at the last moment to avoid it.

The heat from his form seeped across the thin, cold air and smothered me like a warm blanket and I had to fist my hands to keep from allowing my momentum to carry me back into him.

"Sorry about that." I turned back sheepishly to apologize but he was waving it off before pushing me into the limo and climbing in himself.

The door shut and we were off.

* * *

Seattle was a caffeinated city, it's walkways and corridors filled to the brim with coffee carts, independent vendors and of course Starbucks. We circled passed down town and drove into the outskirts of the business district.

We were going to make an impromptu pit stop at my parents' condominium first for me to "grab some supplies", or at least that was what i'd tell them rather for me to check the place out but they didn't need to know that.

Jared grabbed his jacket and was just pulling it on when I stopped him.

"We're just pausing for a sec, I've gotta run up and grab some stuff, but you guys can stay here if you like." I watched them confer before Nina relaxed her socked feet, resting on the seat beside her.

"I'll stay here if that's okay Kim, I've been dying to check out the limo."

I nodded.

"Sure! Anything you find is yours to drink or eat. But after this we can stop somewhere for coffee or something, if you like." She nodded. Jared winked at me and pulled his jacket back off and relaxed beside her; a firm arm pulling her against his side. Ah gross, they were probably going to make out.

"Sure you're cool going up alone?"

"Yes, definitely." I smiled at them, my voice perhaps a little too eager. He looked at me curiously but shrugged it off. I didn't want to be disturbed while I was upstairs.

"I'll be right back but…uh, and Frank will wait with you guys." I flicked my eyes up to the dividing screen that started going up.

I offered a quick goodbye before stepping out and running up to the doorman.

"Hey Rob, can I get up there?" He paled slightly before, shaking his head.

"Sorry kiddo, the police have marked it part of the crime scene." I staggered back from him at those words.

"_Crime_ scene?" My voice was shaking but all I could think about was what he had said. So they _were_ dead?

"No no, it's just what they're calling it, they don't know anything for certain. If you want, you can go in and talk to the officers in the lounge."

"Ye-yeah. Yes. I think I will." I blinked rapidly before nodding up at him.

"Thanks." He relaxed before letting me pass.

"Miss, I'm sorry but access is limited to residents today." I looked up at the policeman who had tapped my shoulder.

"I am a resident." I said slowly, and watched as his face turned in pity. He must know who I was.

"Do you know anything about my parents?"

"You'll have to check with Detective Lucas."

He gestured to a tall man with sandy hair and brown eyes, a little wider in the middle than he was in the top but he seemed amicable enough.

Detective Lucas took me aside and sat me down in a plush, beige armchair with elaborately carved arms.

"Sir, my parents-"

He cut me off with a patiently raised palm and I quieted instantly.

"I can't tell you anything." He grimaced lightly before continuing.

"Yet, I can't tell you anything yet. But I do need you to go back to your home on the reservation and maintain a low profile-"

"Does that mean you've found them?" I could barely keep the excitement out of my voice; they had to know where they were. Which meant they were alive, if they were dead, they'd have to tell me.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could explain, but for now we need you to leave Seattle."

"I can't." He looked up at me curiously.

"I'm doing a project for school, I'll only be here for a few hours and I won't be alone."

"Fine, but make sure you leave before sunset."

* * *

The limo pulled up to the exterior of my father's law firm. Technically his name wasn't on the outside, but the building was passed down to him on his father's side. It was large, there was no other word for it. The firm spanned nearly half a city block and towered at a staggering 27 stories. Our destination was the rooftop where a wrought iron balcony awaited. There the view of Seattle was incredible: skyscrapers rose on all sides, stretching their tips into the clouds while the much more conservatively sized department stores and boutiques dusted the streets far below.

I couldn't wait to show Jared.

"Alright, guys, we're here." I tugged the doors open and while the two of them pulled themselves lazily out of the limo, I wrapped on the trunk. By the time Frank came around back to help me, I'd all ready pulled out everything I needed including my easel.

He shut the trunk with a quiet click and then turned to pick up my bags.

Jared, surprisingly, beat him to it.

"I got it." He smiled at the older man before turning to me.

"Do you need help with the-that?" He asked, gesturing to my easel but I shook my head.

"I'm fine." I paused. "Thanks for helping me carry stuff up, it's kind of a lot, I know."

"No problem." He motioned for me to lead the way and Nina, having nothing to carry, followed gracefully behind Jared, making odd remarks on the building every now and then.

I snuck around to the back, and opened the service elevator with my father's spare set of keys.

"In here." I motioned with my head before dumping the easel in the corner to hold the door open. They stalled by the opening.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Nina asked, her voice dubious but I just smirked at her before nodding and beckoning them in.

"Yeah, don't worry, my dad takes me up this way all the time." A knowing expression came over her face and she moved forward with Jared.

As they passed me to the back I heard her whispering to him.

"He must be a janitor."

"Nina, we came up here in a _limo_."

"Right." She was quiet after that.

I shook my head in amusement before letting the doors close.

"Where _are_ we going?" Jared asked, his voice a bit gravely. His eyes were alight; he seemed to be enjoying this adventure.

"To the roof, of course." And his answering grin made this whole day worth it; maybe friendship was in the cards for us after all.


	9. Drop It Like It's Hot

Disclaimer: Not mine, title's stolen from _Drop It Like It's Hot_-Snoop D O double G, yo. ;) The idea for the painting is however, I bags it. :D

A/N: Sorry it's been a while between updates but I've been trying to study so that I can actually do something with my life because as much as I'd like to write for a living I don't have the attention span or the skillz. If only I did. But this lovely venue for me to post my writings is a decent substitute. Enough whining. Hope you enjoy it! :)

**Chapter 9: Drop It Like It's Hot**

It was close to noon when we reached the summit of my father's law firm, the sun positioned securely in its zenith.

I took in the view with relish and I heard Jared and Nina's gasps of surprise. I knew personally that this was one of the most magnificent views of the city and few were privy to it, so I let the two of them have a few minutes to enjoy themselves. I motioned to Jared to drop my stuff near the easel I set down and told them that I needed a few minutes to get ready.

I meticulously unfolded my easel, securing the wooden legs on even ground before pulling out my drawing paper and securing it with pegs on all four sides. I pulled out a variety of brushes and set them in the crevice that extended out from the base. Next an empty jam jar went into a hole in the piece of wood that jutted out and I pulled out a bottle of water to fill it with. My beautiful set of watercolors came out next and I set it on the concrete ledge beside me. Everything was in place. I called out to the models.

"Hey guys, can I get you over here for a sec?" The two of them had been huddled together by the railing but they wandered over and looked at me quizzically.

"Where do you want us?" Jared asked, tilting his head ever so slightly. It was incredibly endearing and I almost forgot my question.

"Ah, so I was hoping I could convince you to let me dress you for this?" Jared stared at me in shock while Nina took a second glance at my outfit before nodding vigorously.

"If I get to wear anything like those shoes you're wearing, then it's a yes from me." She exclaimed and for the first time seemed truly excited to be here and I grinned at her. Then I turned to Jared who seemed hesitant.

"What does the costume entail?"

"Well okay, how about I detail my idea before I let you decide?"

Nina seemed less interested but Jared motioned for me to continue.

"So the idea for the painting is that I want Nina to dress up in a business suit, and these fantastic loafer pumps. She'll be standing, leaning against the balcony, with a cigarette in her hand and a fedora on her head. You'll be dressed in an opened shirt, partially unbuttoned and baggy jeans and doc martins. You'll be mirroring each other. The idea is that I want to describe the spectrum of masculinity through the years and how the changing environment has made the more appealing hero more and more feminine. The backdrop for you Jared will be fictitious while Nina gets Seattle. I'll continue the topical lines to mirror the geography as closely as I can with its natural equivalents, the skyscrapers will turn into trees, the steel railing, to bushes, and the cement floor to grass." I took a breath. That was the longest I'd ever spoke in front of either of them. Jared looked slightly stunned. I shuffled my feet and took a step back from them.

"So I get to wear heels right?" Nina checked in smirking and I chuckled at her before tossing her a bag, and telling her that everything in there should fit. She disappeared into the door we came in through to the bathroom that was off the corridor to the left. Jared paused before me.

"Shirt unbuttoned?" He looked at me slightly annoyed and as if it was an unusual request. I'd seen him playing sports plenty of times and he was consistently a skin as opposed to a shirt, I knew for a fact he had no problem being topless. I stayed steady, it was for the sake of art after all, I would not compromise.

"Yes." I nodded to ensure my message came across.

"I dunno, feels kind of weird…" he trailed off. I rolled my eyes, trying to relay to him that my feelings for him were entirely platonic.

"Come on, Jared," I pleaded. "I wouldn't ask you to do it, but I've been having difficulty with the male torso lately and it really helps for me to have a visual to follow." It was true, for the most part, I thought to myself.

"Isn't making shit up part of being an artist?" He sounded dubious but shot me a resigned smile. Yes! He was softening.

"I guess." I surrendered before an idea popped into my head.

"But…you do _owe_ me one." I mentioned wickedly and he leaned back slightly in surprise.

"I thought that was what this was." He said, his voice slightly husky, his large hands gesturing to the space between us but I shook my head flippantly.

"Please, you came into this all on your own, you still owe me one, but you won't after this. Consider your debt paid." I waited and then part of me wished I hadn't used up my one favor, he would have no reason to be nice to me after this. But I stuck resolutely to it; art came first. There was no other reason I was being so adamant, really.

"_Fine_." He conceded. "You drive a hard bargain, Kim." He shifted back on his heels, before taking a final step forward. I sucked in a breath, he was suddenly very, very close.

"But you better keep your mouth shut." The words were harsher than I was expecting and I nodded quickly. My eyes flickered up to meet his gaze briefly and I was shocked at the intensity in them, he was serious. I gulped and took a step back and he stood back up before departing. I shook my head. I never wanted to be on the other end of that stare again, it was so…_persuasive_. And not in the good way.

I had forgotten again that Jared and I were no more friends than Tracey and I. He was just tolerating my presence for my silence and I had just given him permission to stop being nice. I shivered slightly in the cool air, perhaps I should have kept my favor, at least then I had the benefit of knowing he would be congenial. The unpredictability of his nature frightened me a little. I took a deep breath. Oh well, what was done was done; now I just had to remember to tread carefully. I no longer had a guarantee of safety.

* * *

Nina stepped out first, her business suit in place and I darted over positioning her against the balcony. She handed me the tie blankly.

"I don't know how to put this on." She muttered, her eyes darting behind her.

"It's okay, a lot of girls don't, I'll do it for you." I replied back but quieted when she shushed me. She motioned behind her and I smiled in understanding. Jared must not know she didn't know how to tie one. It was sweet that that embarrassed her.

In a repulsive sort of way.

I shifted her shoulders and then tied her hair deftly into a bun before setting the fedora angled on her head and then pulled a single curl down. She'd enhanced her lips with the dark red gloss I'd left in the bag and her lashes were large and black. I slipped the tie over her neck quickly and knotted it with practiced ease.

When I was younger my father had always allowed me to tie his ties. In the mornings, he would stand me on his bed while he faced me on the floor and he'd tell me his plans for the day and all the important people that would see the tie. But no matter how terribly I tied it, he would wear it out the door with pride. He always came home with it undone but I was certain he waited until he got to his office before retying the knot. It was ages before I learned to tie one properly but now I couldn't forget if I wanted to. Windsor, half Windsor, the pratt, the four, I knew them all.

I sighed, missing them so suddenly that it weakened my knees. I leaned against the barrier and shut my eyes against the invading sunlight. I needed to find them. I didn't want to be here doing this stupid project when I could be looking for them. I had half a mind to turn back then, to stop this stupid, ridiculous masquerade and search for them.

But then Nina cleared her throat behind me and I snapped myself back to reality.

"Sorry." I muttered softly but she just dismissed me and waved me on. I grabbed the ends of the tie again and started wrapping a half Windsor.

'Over, around, over, around, through.' I recited in my head and then leaned back to adjust the height.

I ran back to my painting station for my sketchbook and then returned with the watercolors, time to match some shades up close.

"Hey I'm just going to match some shades real quick and then I can get started with the preliminary sketches while we wait for Jared."

"Sure. That's fine." Her voice was flat and she sounded inexplicably bored.

"It won't take too long, I'll just do the sketches now and then take a few photos, I'll paint the actual image later. I don't want you two to stand around for too long."

"Thanks." And then she looked at me suddenly.

"Look, Kim, your whole male spectator thing is neat and all but this wasn't really what I had in mind." _Spectrum_, I intoned in my head but stayed silent.

"I was kinda hoping for something a little more romantic, you know?" The words were said carefully as if she was waiting for a reaction.

It wasn't like this project was for a grade or anything. In fact, lets just throw artistic integrity out the window; I'll just paint a _portrait_ of the two of you.

But I didn't say any of that out loud. Instead I nodded apologetically and then smiled at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I didn't really think about that."

"Maybe you should have." My hand slipped at that and I accidentally jabbed her with the paintbrush. It really was an accident. Really.

"Sorry, sorry." I muttered before she could say anything about it.

"It's okay." She paused before starting up again.

"Kim?" Her voice was distinctly more determined this time. What, now?

"Yeah?"

"I know you have a thing for Jared but he's _my_ boyfriend, and I'd prefer if you remembered that."

You're kidding me. There's no way we're actually having this conversation right next to the edge of a 27-story building. I wasn't sure if I wanted to pitch her or myself over the edge. I settled for taking a step away for her, slightly less dramatic than jumping over the iron partition.

"What would make you think that?" My voice was carefully even. Where was Jared? He couldn't possibly be taking this long to change.

"Isn't it obvious? I mean really, 'Jared, take your shirt off, it's not for me, _silly_, it's for _art!_'" She mocked, her fingers curling painfully over my wrist. Her nails pressed into the side and I tried to wring free of her grip but the girl was surprisingly strong for being so slight.

"I'm just trying to get a decent image, I didn't mean anything by it." I ground out as I let my wrist go flax hoping it would reduce the pressure but she only seemed encouraged by it. She tightened her grip and I felt her nails pierce the skin slightly and my eyes started to water at the acute pain.

I blinked rapidly before they could betray me. Nina Russet was the last person on the planet I wanted to cry in front of right now. I listened carefully, desperately hoping for Jared lazy, slightly dragged steps but it was silent save for the two of us.

I tried to step back but she pulled me closer.

"Jared is _mine_. Is that understood?" Each word was said quietly but excruciatingly slowly and she punctuated her speech with steps closer to me until we were nose to nose. Her flowery shampoo washed over me and I let out a breath. It was a bit strong up close. Her left eye was smaller than her right eye, I noted dully. I tugged again trying to get her to let go.

"I know. I'm just painting the two of you. I promise, I wouldn't do that to you." I tried to smile and get her to relax and I let out a huge breath when she dropped my hand like it was burning her.

"Like you could." She volleyed back before turning her head quickly and donning a blinding smile.

Jared must be back. I felt so relieved for a second that I forgot his coldness earlier. Naturally, Nina would behave while he was around. I shivered at her words before shoving my hand behind my back. I kept it carefully away from my sweater; it was cashmere after all. Mom would be upset if I got that bloody.

If she ever saw it again.

I blinked fiercely shoving that thought from my mind. They were all right and in a few short hours I would be sure of that because I would find them. I just had to patient just a little while longer.

I straightened my shoulders and silently thanked Jared in my head for showing up just then. I wasn't sure what I would have done if he hadn't.

"Jared! We were just discussing how lovely that shirt is going to look on you, weren't we Kim?"

I turned to agree and was met with the sight of Jared sans the shirt in question, his perfect, ochre skin rich in the sun's warm rays, the white linen fabric tossed carelessly over one shoulder.

And my brain turned to mush. Suddenly everything seemed a great deal better.


	10. Nailshaped

Disclaimer: Not mine, title inspired by _Bedshaped_ by Keane

Author's Note: Sorry about the delay, work is getting tedious, but I'm determined to keep updating as often as I can. You guys are amazing with all the reviews, thanks for reading!

**Chapter 10: Nailshaped**

"Hi…" My voice faltered and I promptly felt my cheeks catch on fire as Jared shot me a puzzled glance before starting to pull his top on.

I shook my head, trying to focus on the project on hand. Clearing my throat, I gestured to the left and told him to stand against the banister while I finished up with Nina.

She shot him a wink over my shoulder and I did my best to ignore the two of them as I matched paint to her skin tone.

Next I moved her back into position before shifting towards Jared. He was leaning against the railing, his head turned down slightly. The sun caught his hair and the brilliant shades of bronze and an almost burgundy shone out.

I took a step towards him, and I took a deep breath. I could be professional about this, I really could.

"So, if you could just face Nina, and try to mirror her posture." The words came out a bit warbled but I tried to move on as quickly as possible and slowly I started to get back into my paints and forgot about Jared's incredibly distracting attire.

Which I only had myself to blame…or thank, I hadn't quite figured out which one just yet.

Anyway. I took a few steps back, and check their positions. Jared's left shoulder was a little too high and his hips needed to be angled out just so and then they'd be perfect reflections. It was incredible, the symmetry before me. Without thinking or forewarning my model, I reached in front of me to shift his hips and froze, my hands just at the top of his jeans when he cleared his throat.

I looked up and he raised an eyebrow. I didn't know what to do; my mind went completely blank.

Nina coughed behind us, and somehow my body must have reacted because I instantly withdrew my hands and mumbled a quiet apology.

"Sorry, I forget that you guys aren't in my head sometimes," I expelled a breath of air before turning to Jared.

"If you could just angle your hips out just a degree or two, your-ah perfect."

"Sure." His voice was gruff but there was a hint of amusement in there if I wasn't mistaken and when I turned around to double check Nina, I could see why.

The girl was putting her best efforts into smiling but her eyes; oh they were glaring daggers at me. I averted my gaze almost instantly.

Retreating to the safety of my easel, I asked Jared to lower his shoulder before asking them to try to maintain as still a posture as possible for the next few minutes.

And then I got to work. The lines came easily to me as I followed the contours of their mirrored bodies. Nina was startlingly well proportioned, her figure slim and toned. Jared had the body of a swimmer, which was curious considering out school did not have a pool but his lines were incredibly lean. Their faces, however, couldn't be more different. Nina had darling cheeks, perfectly rounded with dark blue eyes and fading blond hair, the dye job she'd done at the beginning of the year dying away. Jared was all angles, his cheekbones sharp and shadowed from the light above him. His face was impeccably carved, and it was an honor to copy them down.

I made a rough, preliminary sketch and then spent a few minutes working in the surrounding details and their facial features.

Pulling back after about half and hour, I stretched my back which had started to cramp a little.

It was decent, the color would make the difference but currently it was far too photographic, once the watercolors came in I was going to fade out the details and turn it into something a little more abstract.

I stood and walked over to them, and they halted their conversation abruptly as I approached but I caught the tail end of Nina's question anyway. Jared had the grace to look somewhat sheepish but Nina just raised her proud nose, her eyes imploring.

"I don't know if you'll think I'm any good, but you two are welcoming to look at the sketch once I take a few photographs."

I smiled at her pleasantly before brushing my hair out of my eyes. She looked horrified for a second then and I glanced at my arm. I'd raised the one she'd grabbed and to my surprise there were clear, distinct impressions where her fingers had been, the edges turning a reddish-purple. I lowered it instantly, pulling my sleeve down as far as it would go and then turned back to get my camera. Jared had been distracted with something or perhaps he just didn't care, but at any rate he made no comment.

I didn't want to deal with anymore of their drama today. Suddenly, all I wanted to do was climb into my bed and sleep; sleep until tomorrow and wake up to my parents.

But instead I had a cement block to sit on and two people whose tempers with me were as mercurial as the wind today.

I pulled out my camera, another birthday present. I had a brief phase where I had wanted to be a photographer and so I saved up for about two months and bought an SLR worth it's weight in gold. My photography skills turned out to be miserable but thankfully the camera was so good it made even my mediocre skills seem professional.

I took about twenty-five different shots of the two of them, ensuring I got ever angle I would need, before walking over for their close ups.

Nina submitted gracefully, even smiling slightly and while that ruined my chances of actually painting from the photo, I was too excited at the change in demeanor to mention anything. Luckily it didn't last long and her surliness returned as I flashed a couple of Jared, so I grabbed a final shot of her before announcing that we were finished.

"Thank you so much, you've been absolutely fantastic." I smiled at them pleasantly.

"Sure, Kim." Jared replied, his voice distant but sincere.

"Are we going back now?" Nina questioned, her voice hopeful.

"Yes, I just have to pack up quickly and then make a stop or two on the way home, but if you guys want to do anything in the city, I can leave you to it and then pick you up when you're ready to go."

Jared perked up at this.

"Yeah, I'm _starving_," he exaggerated, grasping his stomach with both hands before chuckling.

"You mind if we grab something to eat, Kim?" I looked at him in surprise.

"Oh-yeah, sure. I just have to make one quick stop but I suppose I could do that after-"

"Oh Kim, silly, he meant do you mind if _we_ went out, not you. We wouldn't want to disturb your plans." She burst in suddenly, her tone all too eager. I felt my stomach drop. For some stupid reason, I had been convinced that I was included and I felt so incredibly naïve. Of course he hadn't meant me. What was I thinking?

"Oh, of course. Sorry I wasn't-uh," but the words weren't flowing properly, my disappointment stilting my thoughts. I shook my head slightly to focus myself but I just felt my lip tremble in embarrassment.

I didn't want to be here anymore.

I could feel my face heating up again and I shrugged my hair forward and then focused on the crack in the pavement before me.

"Hey, you're welcome to join us." Jared interjected before I could continue but I maintained my focus on the floor.

"It's okay, really, besides I do need to take care of a few things. Tell you what I'll get Frank to drop me off, and you guys can have the limo take you wherever you like." The words came out in a rush and I swallowed hard after but I felt better now that I was in control of the situation again.

"But-" Jared began.

"It's _fine_." Nina ended for him and then shot me a grateful look, but I didn't want to play along, right now I just wanted to get as far away from them as possible so that I could stop feeling so lame and awkward.

"Just let me pack up really fast." I started to pull my sketchpad off, and had just released it from all its pegs when Jared lifted it out of my arms, pulling it easily over my easel.

His face was inquisitive and I felt my heart soar at the surprise and approval in his face as he perused the image.

"It's quite early, so the finished product will look much better…"I started.

But he turned to me and I went quiet instantly.

"This is _amazing_." I shivered at the tone in his voice, but I just smiled, unable to form words at the moment.

He looked like he wanted to say something else but instead motioned for me to continue packing away.

I finished up quickly then and then reached over to him to grab the drawing but he stopped me just as I brushed the edge. My sleeve had ridden up, leaving my wrist and a little bit of my forearm bare.

His hand, slightly cold from the winds outside and calloused, griped my own. I felt the vibrations in my nerves explode at the contact and all I could think about was that I would die, just outright die, if he let go. I never wanted this moment to end, never mind Nina standing right behind us, never mind the fact that he wasn't looking at me, just as long as he never dropped my hand.

But then I realized what he was looking at. His thumb brushed carefully over the grooves that Nina had left behind and he rubbed lightly. I recoiled slightly, at the pressure and his head shot up, his eyes dark and his brows narrowed. He softened for a second; he must have noticed me pull back.

"Sorry." I'd never heard his voice so soft, it was comfortable and warm and I felt like I was sinking in it. But then I was pulled up sharply when he continued, his voice deeper and more furious than I'd ever heard it before.

"Who did this to you?"


	11. In Ultraviolet Light

Disclaimer: Not mine, title nicked from _Ultraviolet_ by the amazing McFly. And the name of her mother's clothing line, _Mark, _is what i'd choose if I ever designed a line of clothing! :P

A/N: You guys rock! Amazingly quick at reviewing, you are, inspires me like you wouldn't believe. Churned this out this morning but I'm off to study now! Hope you enjoy it, things are starting to get interesting, I think. ;)

**Chapter 11: In Ultraviolet Light**

I pulled my hand out of his immediately and moaned inwardly at the lack of contact. But it had to be done. I pulled my sleeve down again and shoved my hand behind me.

"It's nothing." I smiled at him casually before grabbing the sketchpad from him with my other hand but he lifted out of my reach, which was not exactly difficult. Even in heels, he was a good head taller than me.

"What happened?" He spoke slower this time, his eyes on me but I refused to look at him. Instead I moved my gaze to Nina. She was wringing her hands, her eyes terrified, and I felt sorry for her. She was afraid and to a startling degree. Things must really be rocky between the two of them. That would also explain the possessiveness with which she staked her claim earlier.

To be fair, if I was dating Jared, I probably would have felt every ounce as territorial as she did, but I hoped that I would have handled the situation more gracefully.

"Uh, it was when you were changing…" my voice trailed off as I shifted my gaze to him and he nodded for me to continue. I looked back at Nina and she looked desperate. I let out a breath, resigned to forever be a doormat amongst my peers.

"Pretty standard fare, really, I tripped, and Nina caught me. Thanks again." I shot her what I hoped was a grateful smile and her answering grin was so incredibly brilliant that I had to look away. I forgot how pretty Nina Russet could be when she smiled. Feeling inadequate and slightly ashamed of myself for lying to Jared, I nodded before pulling away from him to pick up my things.

"Are you sure?" He was looking at Nina, who was still looking at me, although her gratefulness had transcended into neutrality as soon as his gaze landed on her. Well played, Russet, well played.

"Yeah." I muttered, heaving a bag over my shoulder before tossing him a quick smile. "Completely."

He nodded, mollified and then moved to pick up the easel and I thanked him quickly. He took off the down the stairs, and left the two of us on the rooftop.

"We should get going-" I started just as Nina interjected.

"I can't believe you did-" We both stopped for a second before I nodded her on.

"Kim, I'm, well I guess what I'm trying to say is that-" But I silenced her with a nod and a small smile. This time it came out far more genuinely.

"It's okay. Really."

"No, wait, it's just that-"

"Nina, you don't have to explain. I'm fine." I tilted my head, towards the door.

"We should really get going." She nodded, looking faintly relieved. But then to my surprise, she reached over and lifted my bag over my shoulders before heading down. I looked after her in shock and she turned around at the door and met my gaze. I smiled hesitantly but she just shrugged her shoulders as if to say it was the least she could do.

And then she was gone, and I was left alone on the balcony. I took one final look, I wouldn't be back here for a while, I supposed, there really was no reason for it. The wind tugged at me, blowing furiously for a second before evening out. I peered up at the sky and was surprised at how much lower the sun was, it was already beginning to set. I briefly thought back to Detective Lucas's words.

_"Just make sure you leave by sunset."_

But I shrugged, how much different could the city be at night? Besides at the rate this was going, I'd be surprised if we left before tomorrow let alone sunset. Another draft caught my beret and tipped it off my head but I grabbed it before it went over. Peering down into the city, I saw the thousands of cars, their taillights twinkling even from up here. The buildings were alive with the warm glow of the sun and despite the mirrored finish on most of the windows that I could see into up here, I knew behind them there were people, even on a Saturday.

Down in the corridors and street corners, there were tourists and shoppers galore, their tiny heads little moving dots from up here. My parents could be down there, I thought to myself, _somewhere_. But there was no way I would see them from up here.

_Where are you guys?_

The wind howled but brought no respite. The answers weren't up here. They would be far below me, if anywhere. But for the moment it was nice to just breathe in the slightly chilled autumn air and taken in the metropolis below me.

I would find them. I would.

I bid the city adieu before turning wearily to head down to the elevator and to the safety of Frank's cab. I had a long afternoon in front of me; it was time to get cracking.

Nina and Jared had already settled themselves into the car and were discussing lunch options when I arrived. I smiled before passing up the door that Jared opened for me and motioned to the head of the limo.

"Frank?" I rapped on the window.

"Yes, Miss Kim?" I smiled at that, I'd begged him when I was younger to use that particular moniker.

"The guys want to grab some food but I was hoping you could drop me off at mom's store before?"

"Of course." He smiled before pausing for a second.

"Will you be joining them for lunch?"

"No, I wont." I gave him a tight-lipped smile before pausing, and handing over a crisp hundred.

"Take them wherever they want, lunch is on me." He understood, we had a system when we took people out to dinner in my family. We always slipped Frank the cash and he'd pay the maitre'd so that our guests never got the opportunity to pay. My father always said that their company was far more valuable than the check.

"Of course miss."

I slipped back into the limo and as soon as I closed the door, Frank pulled us away from the curb.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" This time it was Nina who surprised me and I smiled at her before shaking my head.

"No, I've got to drop by mother's boutique. I have to…" Here I paused, what would take enough time?

"I have to file some paper work for her that needs to be sent in." I let out an inner sigh of relief; that came out fairly believably.

"Is your mom going to be around?" Jared queried and to my surprise his face looked excited.

"Why?" I asked carefully.

"Paul told me she's a MI-." He deadpanned, but Nina shoved a hand over his mouth before he could finish. She shook her head at me apologetically but I just chuckled.

"I don't know about _that_ but no she won't." I wrung my hands in my lap. It hurt to say that. No matter how casual the context. I wished more than anything that she would be.

"Too bad." He whistled before grinning at me.

He seemed pleased at my reaction and I felt a little buttery at it too, it felt so wonderful to laugh and joke with friends.

Or acquaintances. I supposed.

We pulled up at the curb outside.

"Frank will take you where ever you like, the man's like a human GPS so you don't have to know where anything is, just give him a name."

I smiled at Jared who looked impossibly excited at the thought of food, you'd think he never ate the way he was reacting.

I waved a quick goodbye before stepping out of the limo and turning to the store. I had just pulled out my keys to go in the front when a hand tapped me on the shoulder.

"Hey, thought we should exchange numbers, you know just incase you need us to pick you up."

I smiled at him, conveniently omitting the fact that I had Frank's on speed dial so it really wasn't necessary.

"Sure." I told him my number before asking him to call my cell and that I'd save it. I pushed the door open just as I finished reciting the numbers and took a step in when he stopped me again.

"You sure you don't want us to stay?" He asked, peering into the darkness of the shop before me. I was touched by his concern but shook my head and smiled at him.

I flicked on the auxiliary lights and the store dazzled, the gleaming white walls juxtaposed against the stark midnight blue mannequins. They were dressed in my mother's finest. I stepped forward onto the floor.

I turned back to look at him. He seemed impressed with the display and less concerned now that the room was lit up so well. He disappeared out the doorway for a second before reappearing suddenly.

"Your mother owns _Mark_?" He asked.

"You've heard of it?" He chuckled at that before nodding.

"My mom's crazy about this place, she's waiting until she can save up to buy that dress in the back." He pointed to a deep violet number and I smiled at him.

"I designed that one." He looked at me, shaking his head in amusement or perhaps it was amazement, I couldn't tell.

"You're kind of insane you know that?" I paused for a second before smiling.

"Thanks, I think?"

"It was a complement, trust me." His voice deepened just then, husky and perfect and I nodded.

"Well, thanks then." I turned away from him, trying to hide the ecstatic grin that was threatening to take over my face.

A faint blemish on the floor a feet away caught my attention and I sucked in a breath. It couldn't be blood.

I hardened my nerves before turning back to Jared.

"I'll make sure your mom gets it then." I smiled at him. "Slip me her size at school."

But he shook his head.

"I couldn't, but trust me, she'll enjoy it more if she can pay for it herself." He divulged, his voice dropping comically to a whisper. I wasn't sure if I believed him but I didn't push it. But I did give him a quick nudge.

"Your lady awaits." I intoned jovially, and gestured to Nina who was looking out the window at us.

He bowed his head slightly at that and then backed out gracefully before offering a final salute at the door. I shot him a smile and a quick wave before he was gone out the door.

Turning back to the smudge, I peered closer and to my relief it wasn't a smudge at all. It was a piece of cloth, but that was odd, my mother was insanely meticulous about her floor space. I'd spent enough time cleaning up for her to know that.

"Curious." I muttered, under my breath.

The cloth was bold and red and there was only one item in the store that would match it, which was to my left. There was a small chunk ripped from the shoulder of the dress, as if it had caught on something as someone passed by. But how did it get to the floor almost three feet away?

I positioned myself at the mannequin but her shoulder was too high for me to reach. I was just under 5' 3" in my heels today, and my mother was only 5' 4" on a good day. Heels included. So the shoulders would be out of reach for her too, unless it fell and she caught it, and then settled it. But she would never have left a tarnished dress on the floor.

So what had happened?

I moved closer. What if someone was carrying her over their shoulder? Then if she reached out to grab at something she could have easily ripped the shoulder and tossed away the chunk. I pulled on latex gloves before lifting the shoulder of the mannequin's dress carefully, revealing the plastic skin beneath.

In the bright lights of the store, there were scratches on the surface.

But they were clean, no blood, no skin, nothing. I took a breath.

Moving over to the counter, I marked the dust on the surface. It had been almost a week since my mother had been here last, but in the light, half of the counter was visibly less dusty.

Why would someone wipe _half_ a counter?

The answer was startlingly simple: if they spilled something.

My heart pounded in my chest. Suddenly I had no desire to be here anymore. I didn't want to know what they wiped away, I didn't care, I just wanted to leave. But as I turned away from it, I looked back that the bright sunlight streaming in through the open door.

Two tourists walked by, chattering happily and I took strength from them. I was safe. No one could harm me here; it was broad daylight for crying out loud.

I pulled out a UV light from my pack and powered it on.

_Please don't let it be blood_. _Please don't let it be blood_. I chanted over and over as I angled the light over the counter.

But it was.


	12. Breathe, See, Shake, Let It Go

Disclaimer: Not mine, title inspired by Mase's _Breath, Stretch Shake_

A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews, you guys are wonderful, and make me want to neglect all my other responsibilities and spend all day writing. In conclusion, here's the next installment. I'm going to start a system, we'll see if I stick to it, lol, but I'm going start updating twice a week, once on Wednesdays and once on Saturdays. Otherwise I'll never get any work done! I'll just sit around writing all day. :P Without further ado, I present...

**NEW A/N**: So I'm ashamed to say that I forgot this story was meant to be in first person, so I'm sorry to everyone who enjoyed the change of POV, but the inconsistency was bugging me. I wrote a whole bunch that's coming later, which I have to switch too. :P But let me know if you spot anywhere where it's still in 3rd POV. Sorry about that! Hope the chapter's still okay! :)

**Chapter 12: Breathe, See, Shake, Let it Go**

It was everywhere.

The ultraviolet light illuminated the counter and splashes of iridescence were left all over the counter. I felt the nausea rise in me, and my hand planted itself over my mouth as the contents of my stomach threatened to expel themselves.

Everything got really dizzy and I leaned heavily against the mannequin behind me.

Sliding down to the floor I stared on in horror as the UV beam spilled onto the linoleum and revealed more and more spots of color that stood out vividly on the floor.

It was everywhere.

The tears came without warning and dripped down my face. I couldn't even summon the energy to wipe them away or to even really cry. I was frozen.

It was like the sounded had been dialed down suddenly, everything was numb, I could barely hear my own hitching breaths as I tried to maintain a calm. But the air didn't seem to be reaching my lungs; at least not quickly enough to permit me to regain my control.

For the first time in a very long time, I felt a despair and lack of hope so strong that it crippled me. I felt like I would never rise again; just sit here molding away until someone found me.

But who would look, everyone I loved was gone.

That thought brought on a fresh wave of tears and my head fell forward, my knees rising to catch it. And then for what seemed like an eternity, I sat, curled on the floor, arms wrapped tightly around my shivering body.

My mind shut down, refusing to process any more of the scene before me and I faded out.

A loud bang outside snapped me back to consciousness. Somehow, some way I had cried enough to pass out. Rubbing my eyes wearily I took a deep breath to ward off the panic as I took in the room around me. Switching off the UV light, I tucked it safely into my bag where for the moment it would do no more harm.

I looked behind me into the street. A small girl hurtled by, screaming in delight as a large golden retriever bounded after her. A frazzled looking woman hurried after the dog, his leash tied to her wrist. I felt a wave of longing at the sight but I quickly flipped my eyes back to the scene before me.

There was no use sitting here, I needed to find what I came for. Blood was expected, I told myself. It didn't mean anything; it just meant that I had to be even more careful. I stood shakily, blocking out the residual noise from the exterior and focusing on the task at hand.

Taking the light back out I took a deep breath, and just as I was about to flick it on, my phone went off loudly and I flinched at the disruption.

The purple rubber encased iPhone slipped easily out of my bag and I looked at the number in surprise. It was Jared.

I debated for a second and then tried out my voice. Feeling slightly foolish but realizing that I sounded nasally and sick, I pushed the call to voicemail. Whatever it was, if it was important he would leave a message.

I turned on the light.

Closing my eyes briefly to regain my strength, I chanted to myself that there was nothing I couldn't do.

It was something my father had always encouraged: blinding self-confidence. When I was younger, my parents had showered me with affection, their love instilling a sense of calm and resolve in me that was seldom deterred.

But as the years passed and I began attending public schools once my parents departed for the city and I no longer had the benefit of private tutoring, I found my peers difficult and unpredictable.

The security of sense in my home had been removed and at school where ideals and values were instilled not in intellect and comprehension but in flirtation and social interaction, I felt lost.

I never quite got my footing, feeling consistently like I was a few steps behind. But in art, in art I had ego. I was aware of my limitations and my skills and found a serenity and comfort that was absent in other areas of my life.

Here I reigned supreme.

Taking in a breath, I focused on the peace I had found earlier in sketching my models and used it to focus myself.

I lifted the light higher, until my hand was above my head, illuminating a sickeningly wide path of blood that began at the counter and trailed solidly back to the staff room.

The trail disappeared under the door.

But it was quiet now so it must be safe, I thought to myself.

I walked carefully and silently, my heels barely making a click on the floor. My mother had placed careful rubber soles on the bottom of all my stilettos to promote security in gait but they also had the marvelous ability to silence the normal clacking that followed when I walked

The door loomed before me, the crack beneath expelling no light which meant once I opened the door, I had no way of knowing what lay behind.

Taking a deep breath I took comfort in the stillness of the room, of the silence that remained behind me.

I opened the door.

But there was nothing to see. The light, which I flicked on with ease on the side of the wall behind me, revealed a room in perfect order.

There was nothing significant here. I wandered in, idly flicking the UV light over the room, but the blood trail stopped at the door.

I turned off the light and retraced my steps, and then realized my mistake.

The path that led to the staff room veered off at a tangent, a few steps earlier, I must have missed it.

It followed a slightly wavering path as if the person dragging her- I stopped there and dropped to my knees as a wave of nausea over came me. And then with muted horror I realized what I was kneeling on top of and scrambled back to my feet, desperately trying not to touch the floor.

The world tilted and for a second I wished that there were someone with me. Despairingly I thought of the warmth of Jared's touch, his solid, strong hands gripping my own with such lightness and support. I envisioned what it would be like if he were here, tucking me into his much more massive frame and keeping me steady.

A belligerent beep echoed from my phone, shattering my daydream.

A text.

I unlocked the phone with one hand while gingerly raising the light and following the trail of-the trail, _just_ the trail back to the rear entrance of the store. Shining the light around me, I noted that this was the only other path.

Someone had taken my mother outside. But where did they go next?

I took a breath.

I looked down at the screen of my phone and read the message quickly.

_Done with lunch, want to meet up? –J _

My fingers typed back quickly.

_Almost done, twenty minutes. –K_

I was just about to send the message when my phone buzzed again. I saved me response and read the new one.

_Kim, wanted to make sure everything was going okay today at Mark. Let me know if you need _anything_. –Cecilia_

I typed back a quick affirmative before sending my response to Jared.

I moved the back door open and followed the trail again. My light shone on, out of the slightly shadowed alleyway and out to the street. There it stopped and the trail disappeared. I let out a disappointed sight. I hadn't expected to find anything concrete.

But my only lead was useless now. Who ever it was had loaded whatever was depositing blood in such copious amounts into a car. But that gave me hope.

You didn't put a dead body into a car, not one that was bleeding like this one was. That was too much evidence to remove.

You threw it into the dumpsters littering the alleyway behind me.

My mother was alive.

I knew it.

I ran back into the store, a sense of relief and purpose renewed within me with intense vigor.

There was hope. I had found it and I was not going to let it go so easily again.

I returned to the store and meticulously wandered around the counter to check if any money had been stolen but the register was locked and the drawer undamaged.

I pulled it open using a key from my bag but the cash inside looked undisturbed if not plentiful.

They weren't after money.

Which meant this was no random attack. My parents were squeaky clean though, my father's law firm handled divorce suits, nothing remotely criminal or tied to anything that merited this level of crime.

What did my parents know? What could they have seen that would provoke such an extreme reaction?

And then I noticed three things almost simultaneously.

The hand sanitizer bottle my mother always placed on the top of the counter had been knocked to the floor.

The rug I was standing on had been flipped over; the tag was visible.

And finally that the store had gone completely silent, which meant someone had closed the door.

Which meant that I was no longer alone.

A hand reached out and grabbed my shoulder.


	13. Hook, Line, and Sinkhim

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue, kiddies. :) Title's not really inspired by any song in particular but if pressed, I believe there was a song in the Little Mermaid or one of the spin-offs where Sebastian says 'hook, line, and sinker."

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews guys! You're amazing, hope you enjoy the next bit of the story! It's a bit longer than usual and hopefully this trend keeps up. It's also in first person, I managed to remember that much. :P

**Chapter 13: Hook, Line, and Sink-him**

It took everything in me to keep from screaming but the voice rang out next was far from what I was expecting.

"Miss? I'm sorry but you're going to have come with me." It was none other than Detective Lucas.

My heart was on overdrive but I managed to offer him a smile but was met with a disapproving look.

This apparent wasn't a social call.

"I don't understand, sir, I-"

"I received a report that the store was broken into and I have to take you down to the station." The reply was clipped, but I felt relief wash over me. They must have gotten someone earlier and needed me to make a statement or something.

Maybe they caught the kill-_kidnapper_. I swallowed thickly, before moving on.

"Sure, but I don't know if I'll be much help in identifying anyone." At this the detective looked at me in surprise. His face turned more irritated if possible and he let out a great whooshing breath.

"I'm here to arrest you."And then he continued on to read me my rights as he slapped a pair of metal handcuffs onto my wrist. He was fairly gentle though, I was glad about that, but my mind was whirring in confusion, what was going on?

"I don't understand, I didn't do anything wrong!" I cried out desperately.

He continued despite my protests, and only once he finished his duty bound speech did he turn back to meet my gaze.

"What could you possibly arrest me for?" I asked, each word coming out measured and slow.

"Breaking and entering." He replied finally, after gazing over me speculatively.

"Wait, what? This is my mother's store, Detective." He eyed me curiously at that.

"The owner has reported a break in and I'm simply following the law." He looked away now.

"When?" My voice turned desperate, had he heard from my mother? Was he taking me to her? I wished I could sit down, my knees were starting to feel the effects of all of today's excitement but for now, learning forward against the counter would have to suffice.

"I'm not at liberty to answer your questions." He supplied before pulling me upright and turning me towards the door.

"No, wait! _When_ did you hear from her? Is my mother okay?" At this he flipped me around, letting go of my wrists.

He looked weary and unhappy and generally discontent.

"Listen, kid, I don't know where you parents are."

"But you know something?" My voice came out higher than normal but I coughed trying to hide my eagerness. He _had_ to know something. Even if they were dead, especially if they were dead, he'd have to tell me.

He looked at me for a long moment, his face calculative. I waited, anticipation grating on my nerves, which were frayed rather thin by this point. But he was silent; he said nothing.

I waited.

And finally, he shook his head apologetically.

"Sorry, kid." He shoved a hand through is cropped hair and adjusted his coat before standing up.

He reached over to take hold of my wrists before pausing. He then gestured before him, at least I was saved the humiliation of being dragged out by a police officer.

A chilling thought occurred to me. What if the report was forged, what if someone impersonated my mother and reported me? Apparently, someone didn't want me looking around. I was going to find out who it was.

I had to.

Despairingly, I turned my head back to the counter; I never got the chance to turn over the rug, or look at the bottle of hand sanitizer.

I turned around to face Detective Lucas. My bag was heavy against my shoulder and I had an idea.

"I was supposed to send an invoice for my mother before-well before." He nodded and I continued, gaining confidence as I continued to talk.

"It was really important, and I was wondering if you'll let me email it before we go to the station."

He started to say no but I barreled ahead.

"I know, I know you're not supposed to, but I just-I don't know where they are and I need to- to make sure." Letting my voice break and a few tears out was less than simple after everything I'd been keeping bottled up today. I dropped my face to complete the act before letting out a great, hitching breath. I shook my shoulders as if to compose myself and then looked up at him again.

Time to go in for the kill.

"Please, please, sir, I've already lost my mother, don't let me tarnish her memory by letting her life's work-go-go…" And at this I completely lost it and I heard him clear his throat uncomfortably.

I let myself go for a few more seconds before starting to calm down slowly.

One.

Two.

Three.

"Okay, but make it quick." Bingo.

"Thank you so much!" I gave him the most grateful smile I could muster before, pausing.

"I don't have all day."

"Sure, sorry, it's just-" I let my breath catch, once again for good measure.

"Do you think you could…" I trailed off, shifting my cuffed wrists and straining against the bonds.

He reached into his pocket and then started patting his person rather vigorously before cursing.

"The key's in my car." He said sullenly and I could practically feel the debate going on in his head.

On one hand, I probably painted an incredibly pathetic picture, while if I made a run for it while he went to get the key, he'd get in even more trouble.

"I need my hands." I said softly, before looking at him pleadingly.

He stepped closer to me then, his eyes searching the walls for security cameras.

"If I go get them, will you promise to stay here until I come back?"

"Absolutely." But I must have spoken too quickly because he took a step back before offering an alternate solution.

"Or you can come with me to the car."

I grimaced at that option but I knew it was my best bet.

"Okay." I looked longingly behind me at the counter but there was nothing I could do until I got him to leave me alone for a second or at the very least out of these cuffs.

He guided me out, a hand on the small of my back, his slightly rotund form conveniently covering my wrists, which were shackled together in between us.

His car was parked a few yards away from the store but it wasn't anything drastic. Still, I kept my eyes peeled. I suddenly regretted that text I'd sent Jared. The last thing I wanted him to see was me getting arrested, that would open the door to all sorts of questions I didn't want to answer.

And quiet honestly, quite a few I couldn't answer.

We reached his car and he shoved open the door before pulling the chain between my hands into one of his own and then reaching into the central console with the other.

I heard him rummaging around for a few seconds before he emerged from the vehicle triumphant. The key glittered silver in the slowly sinking sun and looked almost pretty.

I couldn't have been more excited to see it.

He locked the car before leading me in.

At the counter, he unlocked my hands before motioning for me to go forward and finish my task.

He leaned against it comfortably and crossed his arms; I gathered from his face that it was a gesture that was meant to be imposing. I was unimpressed.

I obediently turned to the computer before kicking the sanitizer bottle with my shoe and cursing softly. He started to turn around but I quickly supplied an excuse.

"Sorry! Just knocked over a bottle. Can I pick it up?" I supposed it didn't hurt to ask. But he just scoffed.

"Just hurry up."

I replied quickly in the affirmative before dropping to the ground and slipping my cashmere sweater over my wrist.

The marks Nina had left on me were darker now, and I felt almost wistful. I'd thought that was complicated but right now I'd give anything to return to a few hours ago and far away from Detective Lucas.

But wishing wasn't helping anything, besides I was wasting precious time.

I flipped up the edge of the rug, being careful not to leave my finger prints behind, but it was identical to the front, there was nothing there.

I groaned in disappointment.

Picking up the hand sanitizer bottle gingerly, I placed it on the table so that I could so the majority of it, but the bottle was also clean. At least to my eyes but I couldn't exactly pull out my UV light while Detective Lucas was less than three feet away.

I logged into the computer quickly before another idea struck.

I checked my mother's email and opened up the sent folder. The folder was strictly for mail for _Mark_ and so I could only access it from the store. She'd pass protected the account from non-_Mark_ affiliated wireless up the wazoo.

There was an email sent out _yesterday_.

I was just about to open it up when he swung around. I minimized the document.

"Done?" His voice was impatient and he tapped the counter, drumming his fingers in at an uneven staccato.

"Almost."

"Thirty seconds." He flipped back around and I quickly forwarded the email to myself before shutting down the computer.

"Okay, done."

He re-cuffed me before pushing me ahead. Apparently I'd used up all my favors because now he was pushing me forward by my neck, one hand on my cuffs.

I succumbed as gracefully as I could.

We stepped outside and for a second I paused and took in the sky, its vast reaches painted in various hues of dusky rose, cyan and a brilliant yellow. But the detective just shoved me forward harder.

"Keep moving." He commanded, his voice official and authoritative.

"Sorry." I mumbled. On a whim, I turned to him and he raised an eyebrow.

"Who did you say reported this?" I queried.

"The owner." His voice was monotonous.

"Lucy Marcus?" My mother only used her maiden name in official business, if the person who reported me used a name other than that then it was a forgery. I felt my stomach turn.

It couldn't be her. There was no way she'd have me arrested. He was going to say it was someone else, I knew it. I just knew it.

"Marcus? No." He shook his head to confirm and I felt the butterflies explode in my stomach. My heart hammered loudly in tandem; it was as if they were keeping in rhythm. I could barely keep my voice steady as I posed the next question.

"Who was it?"

He opened his mouth and I knew he was going to leave me with nothing. _Again_.

I had to find a way around it. Well, honesty _is_ the best policy.

"Sir, if my mother reported a break in, she would have used that name, I'm sure of it. She never uses my father's surname in anything business related." I got it out hurriedly but the detective's face was like a stone barricade. Nothing, no sign of giving in.

"Sir, if she used another name then it could be the people who kidnapped her forcing her to make the call to stop me from finding something!" My voice was getting more and more excited and felt like I was on the right vein; I was so close.

"You have to calm down." He gave a tug to my wrists but I barely felt the pressure. My mother was alive; she had to be.

"Don't you get it? She's alive!" At this, his eyes darkened and softened a little and I felt my stomach drop. I knew that look. I didn't want pity, damn it, I wanted him to let me find my parents.

I was just about to continue my argument when he raised a hand to shush me.

"Kid, she didn't use your father's last name."

"Are you sure? Do you have it recorded- we can check? Maybe she mumbled it-" He actually placed a hand over my mouth at this point, silencing me before dropping it to his side.

He breathed in slowly, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Cecilia."

"What?" What did Cecilia have to do with anything?

"The woman who reported the break in, her name was Cecilia Hartgrove." She must have wanted him to come down to check on me. This was just all a big mix up, after all. I knew it the whole time, of course, but you can't blame me for losing faith.

All the same, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. A lot of me had been hoping that I was closer to finding my parents but now I was back to square one.

Well not quite, I reminded myself, I still had that email.

"That's my father's secretary, she probably just wanted you to check up on me." I explained, shooting him a smile. But Detective Lucas shook his head grimly.

"Kim," He paused, wiping a hand over his face before looking just over my right shoulder. I tried to align his vanishing point but it was harder through the reflection in the car. But what he said next, brought back my full attention to him and I felt my stomach drop to the floor.

"She asked me to arrest _you_."


	14. The Police Shut Us Up

Disclaimer: Not mine, title's inspired by _Tic Toc_ by Ke$ha

A/N: So I'm heading off on holiday in about a week and unfortunately I'll be gone for about a month and I'm not certain I'll have internet access so I'm going to finish book one (this is going to be a trilogy I think?) before I go, which means that I'll be updating daily because I'd feel terrible leaving without finishing up to that point. And I've already written the final chapters of book one so it's a lovely place to stop. Well you might not agree but I've already written the first two-three chapters of the second book so I promise you it's forthcoming. I think there's about…hmm seven chapters until the end of this one?

Gah this is so long, apologies. However the chapter is also the longest one yet if I'm not mistaken so hopefully that makes up for it! I'll be updating soon! Do review though, I love, love reading your reviews and it'll definitely motivate me to make sure I do finish book one before I go. ;) (That wasn't a bribe, not really…:P )

Enjoy!

-S

**Chapter 14: The Police Shut Us Up**

"_What_?" I asked in horror but he just ignored me and pushed me before reaching around to open the door.

Just as I was about to get in, I heard my name being called.

"Kim!" It was Jared. Oh god, of course he'd see me like this, it wasn't enough that I had a few fuzzies for the guy but now it's like the universe was sending me as signal that we were not meant to be. How much more humiliating could this get.

He ran up to us, his face twisted in confusion.

The detective let out an irritated breath of air.

"What're you _doing_ with her? Kim, what's going on?" His questions came rapidly and I saw one of his hands reach out like he wanted to pull my wrists out of the policeman's grasp but he quickly withdrew it at the look that Detective Lucas gave him.

"She's been arrested for breaking and entering."

"She has a key." He replied, his face brightening. I could've hit myself, what was I _thinking_? That would solve the problem instantly.

"And trespassing." He supplied quickly but I beat him to it.

"No, no, you arrested me initially for breaking and entering, as that's clearly not true, you have to arrest me again for trespassing. You can't just add charges like that."

Suddenly his folksy demeanor vanished and I started to realize why he worked in a city with crime rates as high as Seattle.

"Listen, little girl, this isn't CSI, _you_ need to stop wasting my time, and get in the car before I make you. And add a charge for resisting."

I closed my mouth with a snap and Jared looked a little nervous like he didn't want to tamper with him.

I couldn't agree more.

A thought appeared in my head.

"I get a phone call! Can I call-" I think Detective Lucas would have smacked himself if he had a hand free and if that was appropriate.

"That's once you get to prison. Any more reasons to delay this or can I do my job now?"

"Okay." I guess that's it. I'd have to go down to the station before I could talk to Cecilia.

It wasn't like they could keep me there, I could easily afford bail but I didn't want to have to pay it. Felt like I was giving in when I knew I did nothing wrong.

"Wait, don't you have to tell her parents?" At this Detective Lucas looked surprised. I almost felt proud if I wasn't panicking. I didn't want Jared to find out like this! He would do the whole pity thing and I'd lose any chance of a normal friendship with him.

I didn't think I could handle that right now. I thrust Detective Lucas a desperate look and he seemed to understand because he just shook his head.

"They'll be contacted once we get down to the station."

I let out a breath of relief.

"Oh." Jared changed tactics. He turned to me. "Kim, we're coming with you, we'll meet you at the station."

"Jared, no-"But he'd already spun around and run back to the limo, bending to explain the situation to Frank.

I sighed in disapproval. This wasn't going at all how I wanted it too, but as the detective bent my head into the car and I sat down, there wasn't much I could do about it. Just had to go along for the ride and see where it took me.

We arrived at the police station just as the sun started to sink below the horizon and I saw Detective Lucas take a look at it before turning back sharply and pushing me inside. I resisted for a second until I saw that Frank had pulled up behind us, to my surprise, only Jared emerged and then the limo pulled away.

_Where_ was Nina going?

I decided I didn't really care if it meant that I got more one on one time with Jared. _Just as friends, _I reminded myself.

He took the steps up to the door two at a time and before I'd fully stepped in; he was behind us.

He gave me a small smile and at my questioning look he mouthed 'later.' I nodded, and tried to give him a thumbs up before remembering that my hands were otherwise occupied.

I shot him a smile instead.

We followed the twisting halls up a short staircase until we got to an open area where several cops were lounging around, the smell of coffee wafting through the air towards me.

I breathed it in. It smelled wonderful right now and as my stomach started to growl, I realized I hadn't eaten anything since this morning.

Jared didn't notice or pretended not to, which I thank him for silently in my head. I didn't really want him to hear that. But I couldn't even rub my stomach to stop it from growling as my hands were still firmly held behind my back.

Jared's jaw was tense. I wondered if this was too much pressure to put on him. He really didn't have to stay with me. But, I didn't exactly ask him to come. I wondered what had gotten him so tense. And then I realized, he wasn't a bad kid, I'd never heard of him getting arrested, this was probably his first time at a police station. It was mine too but my mind was distracted as it was. It was not wonder he was nervous.

Detective Lucas paused at a desk that was two from the back and handed over my charge to an Officer Matthews who looked more interested in his cup of coffee than my wrists. But he took them resignedly and tugged me into the chair across from him while motioning for Jared to sit as well.

"So I've just got to take down some information and as a minor we'll probably let you off easy assuming the charges aren't dropped. Also-"

"Sir, I'm really sorry, but can I have my phone call first?"

Jared looked at me in surprise. He didn't know about Cecilia, I'd have to explain later.

"Ah, yeah, sure." He pushed the phone at his desk towards me but I shook my head.

"Do you think I could have some privacy?" I maintained my gaze away from Jared, I didn't want to risk encouraging him to ask if he could come with me. As much as I would have enjoyed the company, I needed to do this on my own.

Officer Matthews nodded before leading me to one of the back rooms used for interrogation; Jared remained fixed in seat, not even looking up when I left.

I wanted to say something but I was nervous that he'd leave and as much as I liked to pretend that this was fine and that I could handle it, I felt miles better just having him nearby.

He was wonderful_. _I would find a way to thank him after all this was over, I would.

I sat down on the hard bench and he un-cuffed me before turning on a flickering burnt mustard light and back out of the room. The door was shut completely.

It was amazing to be alone for just a moment, I let my head fall back against the wall and closed my eyes, I needed to center myself. I had to make sure that this call went perfectly and I figured out everything I needed to know. I filed away any anger that was still swirling around in my system.

Pulling the phone towards me, I dialed Cecilia's number and waited for her to pick up.

"Hello?" Her voice came quizzically over the phone and for a moment I felt that anger at her betrayal return and I couldn't quite form words in response. but I shoved it back.

"Hello?" This time her voice was strained and then I heard motion and I assumed she was going to hang up. This jerked me into action.

"Wait, Cecilia?" My voice was quiet, I knew I had to hear her out first.

"Kim! Oh my goodness, thank god you called, I've been sitting here waiting for you all afternoon."

"Cecilia, what's going on?" My voice was terse; I didn't have time for this.

"Kim, I'm so sorry. I just needed to get you to that station. Listen, one of the officers, Matthews was on call the night your parents disappeared and I swear when I was down there trying to get some information he looked like he was going to say something, but Lucas shut him up."

I felt my heart hammering and I could have cried right then I was so thankful. It had been a bigger blow than I realized to have her turn on me but now that I realized what she was doing I wished I could thank her properly.

"Okay." I said. I could trust this, right?

"Kim, I know I should have told you, but as ridiculous as it sounds, I didn't want you involved in my little conspiracy. Thought you'd be more receptive if you were unaware and I didn't have that much time. You have to believe me!" The word time, seemed to tug at my sense and I heard a rapping on the door to confirm that my time was almost up.

"Thanks, I got it, I'll see what I can do." She chuckled at that.

"I have complete faith in you Kim."

"Cecilia?"

"Yeah?"

"The charges?" She laughed heartily at that.

"You sounded just like your father when you say that, Kim." She paused then, and I could feel her calculating whether it was too soon to make references like that but the woman had done amazing things for me today, and I couldn't bare the thought of her worry about something so simple.

I let out a weak chuckle, it was the best I could do right the, but to my relief she seemed to buy it.

"I'll give you an hour, Kim, and then I'll drop them. They can't keep you there after that. Get Matthews to interrogate you, I'm sure you can get something out of him."

"Done."

The door started to open and Officer Matthews stuck his head in, and motioned at his watch.

"I have to go, but thanks again." I said quietly, suddenly wishing I didn't and that I'd have more time with her.

"I'll be in touch sweetie, and remember, if you need _anything_-"

"I know." I interrupted, before she could finish. I needed to stay focused.

"Bye." Her reply was quiet and I could tell that she wanted to do more, to say more and I felt ashamed that I had so easily lost faith in her.

She was a rather incredible woman, that Cecilia Hartgrove.

I hung up the phone and turned to the officer.

"Would you like to question me now?" He laughed, shaking his head.

"I suppose, if that's okay with you?" He mocked rhetorically before sitting down and setting out some papers in front of him. He clicked on a recording device that he set evenly between us and then asked me to recite my name.

"Kimberley Athena Connweller."

At my last name, he perked up considerably and looked at me before continuing. Good, he remembered the name. That meant weeding out the information would be easier than I thought.

"Age."

"16, tomorrow."

"Happy early-birthday." He responded jovially, and I smiled at him before letting it drop from my face. Time to play dirty, Kim.

He didn't say anything about my sudden shift in mood but continued on.

"Why were you at _Mark_ on the afternoon of Saturday, November 19th?"

"The store belongs to my mother, Lucy Connweller, and I was just taking care of some business for her."

"The store's owner, who I presume, is your mother, reported that you were trespassing."

"No, Cecilia Hartgrove, reported that I was trespassing."

At this he paused, apparently, Officer Matthew didn't rank up high enough to get that little snippet of information.

Wonderful, this was going far easier than I thought it would.

"And she is not your mother." He verified and I nodded.

"How did you get into the store?"

"I had a set of keys."

"Where did you acquire them?"

"From my _mother_."

"With her permission?" Here I stalled, crap. Obviously he knew I didn't have permission, so lying would get me nowhere.

"Not exactly."

"Please elaborate."

"My mother, as you might have heard, and father have-well, I don't know where they are." My voice dropped, and I paused watching the effect it was having on him but he just nodded grimly.

"Officer Matthews, I'm going to be honest with you, I just went there so that I could see if I could find anything out, no one was telling me _anything_."

"So you trespassed on an official crime scene." Not so fast.

"There was no tape." I offered innocently and at this he let out a bitter chuckle.

"Not that that would have stopped you." I shook my head.

"I need to know what happened to them, sir. It's not something I can just live with. The unknowing it just rips at me all day long and I feel like if I don't figure it out it's just going to tear me apart." I wasn't even putting on a show, Matthews looked like he wouldn't buy tears anyway, I figured I'd just be honest and tell him what I was going through.

"I don't have any siblings sir, I don't even have any pets, my parents, they're all I've got."

"What about your boyfriend, out there?"

"He's not my- he's not." I stumbled in surprise, but I suppose it did appear that way.

I could have sworn he muttered something along the lines of 'could've fooled me,' but I determinedly ignored it. Jared had a _girlfriend_. And it certainly wasn't me and besides I promised I wouldn't interfere. No point getting my hopes up.

"Look, I'm sorry about your parents-"

"Do you know what happened to them?" I cut him off, but he didn't seem particularly bothered by it.

"No and this isn't what we're discussing right now." He answered too quickly and I saw him look down before he finished that sentence. I could have danced with joy; he knew. He _knew_. And there was no way I was leaving until I knew.

"Sir, please? I've been waiting for days to hear something but no one's telling me anything." My voice was breaking at this but I saw him take longer to respond this time.

"Miss Connweller, even if I had something to tell you, I couldn't that case doesn't fall under my jurisdiction, I am legally hindered from telling you anything. I could lose my job."

"I know but-" He looked behind him at the door suddenly, cutting me off, and then muttered something under his breath before turning back to me. I waited.

_You know you want to do it_, I thought at him hard and I saw his eyes soften.

I looked at him and let my face drop a little.

"Sir, do you have kids?" I had noticed the wedding band on his ring finger when he'd reached over to place the recorder on the table.

"I do, two little girls." He intoned, brows arching at the change in subject.

"And if something happened to you, wouldn't you want them to know? No matter what?" I questioned. He looked at me for a second and I almost thought he looked amused but he sobered up quickly enough.

"My family is not up for discussion." His voice was stern and I backed off, I didn't want to anger him. I just wanted him to understand.

"_Please_, I need something, just tell me if they're alive or-" Here I had to pause because my voice broke and I cleared my throat. I could do this, they weren't _dead_ I reminded myself, they couldn't be. If they were, they'd have to tell me.

They _had_ to.

"_Please_." I ended, finally. And then I just watched him; watched him run through the consequences of telling me something in his head and his face turned grim. And for a second I thought he wasn't going to tell me anything but then, he reached forward and clicked off the recorder.

I stayed still, maintaining my composure but my hands were sweating, and my heart was beating so hard it felt like there was a horse in my chest, galloping against my ribs.

"I don't know much, but I know they were put under the care of a physician."

I didn't say anything, just nodded; I didn't want to risk him changing his mind.

"That's all I know, kid." But he had paused too long before saying that.

"What was the physician's name?"

He shook his head but I jumped in to reassure him, I knew what he was thinking.

"I won't tell anyone how I found out, I swear." He looked at me hard again before abruptly rubbing a hand over his face.

He dropped them to the table and reaching one over to the recorder. _No_, I called out in my head. I was so close!

But he paused just before his finger could press down. He uttered a single word his voice hesitant and low.

"Cullen."


	15. An Unhappy Birthday to Me

Disclaimer: Not mine; title's inspired by _Happy Birthday._

A/N: Y'all are really lovely with all your kind words. This is just a hobby right now but I'd love to write an actual, honest-to-goodness book one day. You guys actually make me think that it could happen. Thank you so much for your wonderfully kind words and I hope you enjoy this next installment!

It is a bit shorter than last time, but Jared and Kim get lots of face time so i hope you enjoy that aspect, I always get nervous writing scenes between the two of them because I worry that it's not genuine. We'll see what happens when stuff actually _happens_ between them. :P Anyway! Enjoy. :)

-S

**Chapter 15: An Unhappy Birthday to Me. **

"Do you know why Cecilia Hartgrove would report you for breaking and entering, and trespassing on the property?" Office Matthews asked abruptly as he turned the recorder on again.

"I-" I stumbled for a moment, the instant switch of topics surprising me; it was so sudden that I thought that I had imagined the whole exchange we'd had prior about Cullen.

But then Officer Matthews gave me a solid glare as if he was hoping it would convince me to continue speaking normally.

"I don't know. I'm fairly certain it was a mix up." I managed and he nodded before continuing on with the questioning.

We carried on for a good half an hour and he seemed to have gotten everything he needed from me.

He stood and then motioned for me to lead the way out of the room. As I passed him, he grabbed my arm just below the elbow.

"Don't make me regret helping you." The words were whispered and menacing and I nodded vigorously before managing a shaky yes.

He let me go then and even opened the door, his face nonchalant and completely innocent.

Jared was still seated at the desk but upon noticing our entrance into the room, he stood.

I gave him a tentative smile before turning my head slightly behind me.

"What happens now?"

"Now, we keep you here for the night unless you pay bail or the charges are dropped."

With that he pushed me forward but before we could pass Jared, he stepped out and easily maneuvered between Officer Matthews and I.

My hands were cuffed again and held securely in the officers grasp so I couldn't turn to see the exchange behind me but it was abrupt and short and Jared stalked past me, his shoulders high and tense, his hands buried in his pockets.

"Jared! Wait!" I called after him, but he didn't seem to hear me.

I watched him walk straight out of the room and a part of me shrunk at his departure. I tried to follow him before realizing how terrible that would seem. Still, I felt very small at his sudden disappearance. I wished I knew what he was thinking; it felt like the longer I knew him, the less I understood how to read him.

"Keep moving." Called the officer from behind me and reluctantly I kept walking, hoping that wherever they took me, Jared would be able to find me.

The cell I was placed in was dank and smelled vaguely of metal. I leaned back against the concrete wall and closed my eyes. I was lucky enough that the room was empty and it was just my babysitter and I, a guard that looked barely 20 carrying a baton and reading GQ.

But there were more important things to think about, or should I say _people_.

What was with all the secrecy? If my parents had gone to see this Dr. Cullen, whoever he was, surely that was all protocol and I should've been taken to see them.

But instead, I was kept in the dark and everyone, including Detective Lucas seemed unwilling to shed a light on me.

Cullen, _Cullen_. The name felt subtly familiar but I couldn't think of a single place where I would have heard it. He certainly didn't work in La Push; I would've known him for sure, at least by reputation.

Nothing came to mind. Well, I'd go see this Cullen tomorrow. It wouldn't be difficult, if he wasn't working, then I'd just have to find out where he lived; but one way or another I was going to find him.

* * *

I must have dozed off while I was thinking against that wall because a short while later I felt myself being shaken awake by Officer GQ.

"Miss Connweller?"

"Yeah?" I asked sleepily, hiding a yawn in my shoulder.

"The charges were dropped, you're free to go." He seemed apologetic so I offered him a smile before shaking my head slightly to let go of all the drowsy.

I got up and he quickly unlocked my hands and I rubbed my wrists. The poor things had gotten so much abuse today. There was a red line against them where I'd leaned against them when I fell asleep.

I pulled the sleeves of my sweater down before stepping out into the dark hallway and then follow the policeman down the hall and into the central atrium.

Jared was nowhere to be seen.

Picking up my stuff and waving goodbye to Officer Matthews who had the good grace to give me a nod, I stepped out onto the street.

Night had fallen onto Seattle while I had been detained and I looked around the street before me but it was deserted. We were at an incline and a few blocks away, I could see the city lights in full color, the buildings flickering.

A tough wind blew hard across the square and I shivered.

Detective Lucas's warning from earlier seemed slightly more appropriate now. It certainly was a bit eerie but I straightened my shoulders and mentally scoffed.

I was going to be _fine;_ I was right outside of a police station for crying out loud.

I just reached into my bag when I heard someone move behind me.

I flipped around, phone held slightly above my head ready to strike but it was just Jared.

Well not quite _just_ Jared. He was leaning deliciously against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest showing off his biceps delightfully. His face was shadowed but a stray moonbeam lit up a spot directly over his heart and it was so beautifully poetic that I almost asked him if he could stay there so I could sketch it.

Something told me, however, that this was _not_ the time.

He stepped forward and I felt my breath catch as he came the light, and it pooled so gracefully over his neck, tingeing his hair a decadent midnight blue.

"Hey." I intoned softly, suddenly unable to look him in the eye. I didn't even know where to begin.

"Hey." He responded dully, but there was nothing vibrant about his voice.

I shifted awkwardly, pulling my bag higher on my shoulder, casting about desperately for something to say.

"Where's Nina?" _That_ was what I'd come up with? Seriously? I was a bigger idiot than I thought possible. I could've said anything. I could've thanked him, I could've asked him how his day was. I could've explained what was going on, but no, I asked about his girlfriend.

"She went home." I must have looked as surprised as I felt because he started to elaborate.

"I sent her home, I mean, I figured you wouldn't want her to, you know, see that-_this_." He ended lamely, gesturing to my hands, but even I got what he meant. Nina was not exactly the most discrete person in the world.

"Thanks." The word felt so lame and imperfect. But I had nothing else.

"Sure." Seems he was having a similar problem.

"I guess I should call Frank." I said and he nodded mutely and I dialed the number.

Frank said he'd be there, momentarily having returned to Seattle directly and that he'd just been around the corner.

I stared at the floor and Jared stared somewhere over my left shoulder and we stayed that way until Frank pulled up and Jared moving down the steps quickly snapped me out of my reprieve.

I moved down the stairs, carefully navigating in my heels. I felt a bit lightheaded and I dearly wanted to curl up and sleep. And maybe have a burger.

Jared was seated inside once I got in. I pulled the door close and motioned for Frank to continue. He reached past me lightly and flicked the switch that raised the partition.

Apparently we were going to talk.

"What's been going on, Kim?" His voice was annoyed at best but I could see he was making an effort not to just yell at me for lying to them-_him_ all day.

I stared at the floor, unsure of how to proceed.

But just as I was about to start, my stomach gave a loud and indignant growl at having been starved for so long and I gripped it in embarrassment.

Jared cracked a smile at this.

"Have you eaten anything?" I shook my head.

"Nope, sorta got caught up." I snorted at my incredibly lame pun but it seemed to work because the tense, uncomfortable atmosphere shattered as Jared joined in my laugher.

He shook his head before lowering the partition and asking Frank to stop for food. He looked back at me and I mouthed 'burger' to which he responded with an enthusiastic grin.

We sat in companionable silence until we reached a drive through, only breaking it to give our orders.

I contemplated how much I should tell him, but settled on hoping he wouldn't bring it up again. Still, I supposed I owed him some sort of explanation.

It wouldn't be right to leave him with nothing.

We sat quietly munching on our food which Frank had passed through the partition and then after we'd finished, I checked my watch.

There was still a good forty minutes until we reached La Push and so I took a deep breath.

It was time.

But he beat me to it.

"Hey, Kim?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for lunch, you didn't-you didn't have to do that." I smiled at him, and shrugged, I didn't really want to get into that.

"I guess I owe you an explanation." I began, my voice soft.

He looked exceedingly more interested now, placing his soft drink on the ground and leaning forward, forearms rested on his knees.

"I-well, _Mark_ is my mother's store, I wasn't trespassing, I swear. It was my father's secretary who-who-"A great yawn almost split my face in two and I quickly covered my mouth with my sleeve.

Before I could start up again, he looked up at me determinedly and I paused to listen to what he had to say.

"Kim? Maybe you should just sleep for a while, you look tired." He was-he was wonderful. There were no other words for it. I'm sure anyone else would have demanded an explanation after I'd dragged them around the city and then gotten arrested on top of it, it wasn't the greatest of impressions.

I nodded, smiling faintly, unable to shift my eyes off of him. I didn't want to waste what was probably the last bit of time I'd ever get with him.

But all the same, I felt wonderfully full and a nap sounded incredibly compelling. Another yawn widened my mouth and I chuckled sheepishly after that.

He looked calculative but I tried my best to ignore him, reiterating that whatever he was thinking was his business and I really didn't to worry about it. I popped my stilettos off, rubbing my feet a little. They were a tad sore.

Jared had been sitting next to meet while we ate but he started to move to the opposite seat so that I could have more room to sleep.

"Wait!" I called out and he froze, looking at me in surprise.

"You don't have to move, I have enough room." He looked me over dubiously but then settled back down.

I felt selfish but even though he was a good foot away from me, his weight on the seat felt comforting and after today, I needed the proximity.

"Thanks." He was looked at his hands, long, strong fingers gripped tightly.

I placed my hand over his and I felt him tense beneath me.

"I promise, I'll tell you everything tomorrow, at least everything I can." He looked at me in shock, forgetting about my hand, which was still resting on his.

"You will." He said it quietly but I could hear the doubt.

"I will." I confirmed before giving him a light squeeze and slowly lifting my hand back. It was unfortunate but it had to be done.

I then leaned back and fell asleep, surreptitiously watching him from underneath my lashes.

* * *

I woke up to Jared's hand lightly shaking my shoulder.

"Yeah?" My voice was thick with sleep and I cleared my throat.

"We're at your house, Kim."

"Oh." I sat up quickly and closed my eyes as I felt the blood rush to my head. Jared chuckled before giving my shoulder a final squeeze.

He stepped out of the limo and I followed, gripping my bag in one hand and our trash in the other.

He had already pulled out my painting supplies and I noted with approval how gently he handled the easel.

I stepped over to him.

"Thanks for pulling everything out for me. I could've-"

"Kim, you paid for everything today, the least I can do is help you get your stuff inside."

I smiled at that before taking a breath. I'd never had a friend over before, I wasn't certain of the protocol. I tested the word as I watched him lift all my stuff in ease. It seemed to fit him, at least on my end. I wasn't entirely sure what he thought of me.

Jared seemed to be perfectly comfortable taking the lead and he lifted my stuff, leaving nothing for me to carry but my own bag and moving it all easily to the front door. He didn't even seem to be bothered by it.

My front door loomed large and suddenly I wondered if my house seemed obnoxious to someone who hadn't grown up it in. It was a bit big I supposed.

He made no comment though, I saw him sneak a peak through the open blinds.

I unlocked the door and flipped on the lights and he let out a low whistle.

But he thankfully didn't say anything just moved everything into the hall before taking a look around.

I just stood there, feeling like an idiot but completely unsure of what to say.

He turned back to me and I got ready to ask whatever question came next.

"Where are your parents?" That I wasn't expecting. But he certainly appeared expectant so I hurried forward with a reply.

"They're out of town." That was basically a complete truth, I reasoned, but part of me felt guilty. _Tomorrow, _I reminded myself, tomorrow I would tell him everything.

"So you're home alone?" He asked, suddenly looking concerned but I nodded.

"Don't worry, we've got an insane security system. I'm perfectly safe."

He nodded at that before glancing at his watch.

"_Fuck_ it's 12:30." He observed and I saw him step away. But then he seemed to realize that he should give me an explanation.

"It's my curfew." He offered before opening the door and stepping out.

"Oh, I'm really sorry, if you get in trouble, I'll take the blame." I replied apologetically but he waved me off.

"Nah, don't sweat it, mom's pretty chill but I should get home."

"Of course."

I didn't want him to go, I wanted him to stay but of course that wasn't an option. The silence of the house felt almost oppressive as I watched him walk away from me.

But he turned just as he got to the edge of the front steps.

"Tomorrow?"

I looked at him with surprise. I didn't think he would actually enforce that.

"Yeah, tomorrow." I smiled before waving. He smiled and shoved his hands back deep into his pockets and climbed into the limo; I watched them drive away before closing the door.

Turning to look back at the large empty house behind me, I suddenly felt like I would've been better off if I'd stayed in the limo.

At least I had tomorrow to look forward to, though. I was tired and quite frankly not up to any more investigating tonight, I needed to sleep and get myself back in order before I could be of any more use.

Setting the alarm on the house and double checking the security records to make sure nothing had been breached I was pleased to notice not even a deer had crossed onto our property.

Walking up the stairs and flicking off the lights, I sang a loud and ridiculously rousing round of Happy Birthday.

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear Kimmy-" I flung my arms wide as I reached the top of the stairs.

But there were no parents waiting for me, no birthday cake and, most certainly, no presents.

I didn't feel like singing anymore.

_Happy birthday to me._


	16. The Coffee Shop Hierarchy

Disclaimer: Not mine, the title's inspired by _Coffee Shop Soundtrack _by All Time Low.

A/N: We're getting close to the end of book one kids, so close but there's a little bit more that's got to happen in the following three or four chapters. Just remember to keep your hands and legs inside the carpet. :) Hope you enjoy this chapter! I've never written a story this long, you guys are amazing for making me stick with this! Review if you please (because it pleases me oh so much. :D )

-S

**Chapter 16: The Coffee Shop Hierarchy**

Coffee shops are peculiar entities. The constant flow of people entering and leaving establishes a rough equilibrium in population but the quality of people change often enough to maintain interest.

I used to people watch at coffee shops with my father. He used to tell me that you could predict the kind of people they were by the kind of coffee they liked. The interesting ones would always order straight black coffee because, at least according to him, their lives were busy and unpredictable so the stability of a simple 'cuppa joe' was a welcome relief. Those were the kinds of people you wanted to get to know.

I had a penchant for vanilla lattés, which my father attributed to the fact that I enjoyed life's more superficial pleasures, and as an artist I couldn't disagree. After all if painting isn't a superficial profession then what is? I can't draw more than the surfaces that I observe. Emotions that are placed over them are what people want you to see, not what is on the inside.

My father only ever drank espresso. Predictably my mother drank tea. But whether this was to avoid my father's judgmental coffee hierarchy or because of her personal preference was something I never quite figured out.

I was sitting by the window with my computer open in front of me, greedily stealing the free wifi that was meant to be a communal entity. I had one of the best wireless cards on the market.

My latté was untouched at my side and I was poised with my finger over the forward from my mother's email account. I had been seated there for just over ten minutes but I had yet to open it.

The door open and I heard the jingle accompanied by a light patter of heels.

Two little boys ran in, their wavy platinum hair messily arranged about their faces. One was slightly taller than the other and authoritatively commanded his brother to sit on the floor. The shorter one was otherwise occupied, he ran into the counter with impressive determination, seemingly convinced he would get to the other side if he had enough speed.

But physics proved to be against him and he unwittingly followed his brother's advice, landing with a sudden oomph on the ground and then proceeded to wail. Their father, I presume, then darted into the store, sweeping both up in his arms and carrying them outside, taking the time to kiss the little ones boo boos and hushing him efficiently.

I watched as he left the store; the taller one, peered over the father's shoulder and looked directly at me. I smiled and raised my hand to wave slightly but he just frowned and turned away. The other one, still hiccupping from his tears, stuck his head over his father's arm upside down and gave me a watery smile.

I liked him better, I decided. Making a silly face at him as a reward, I saw him burst into giggles. His father turned around at this and offered me a tired smile before rolling his eyes at his kids and then continuing out.

Perhaps it was the sudden rush of nostalgia that hit me then or the fact that I had knew I had to do it at some point, but my finger pressed down and the email opened.

The initial letter was directed to Cecilia Hartgrove, a property settlement that transferred the ownership of Mark to her. I knew that at sixteen, I couldn't receive anything but it hurt to know that Cecilia hadn't even bothered to inform me. The reply was a single word, just two letters actually.

_Ok_.

There was no reason to think my mother sent the email, I mean it wasn't exactly hard to hack into that sort of thing. But whoever replied, it wasn't Cecilia, this email was cc-ed to my mother's account but the prime destination was to Cecilia. I sat back, my gaze tracing the window next to me. Four cars passed: one white, two blue and a fourth that was an odd sort of beige. I idly noted that the sky was turning an odd sort of gray, somewhere between pale silver and lavender.

Was my mother alive? Was this just a trick like everything else that I'd thought I'd found out so far. Nothing seemed to lead to anything conclusive, sometimes it felt like my parents had just vanished into thin air, like they were stuck in the gray, somewhere between the living and dead.

Who could have sent that email other than my mother? I was the only one who knew her password for her business email other than my father, but Cecilia would know it if my father knew it. But that was ridiculous she said she had gone down to the store but she couldn't get in because it was locked. And when I went down to the store yesterday, the lock was untarnished. But she could have gone down the day before yesterday again and used a lock pick or something.

I felt an uncomfortable vine of dread planting itself in my brain. How much could I really trust Cecilia? She had me arrested instead of telling me to play along, she claimed she was busy looking after her kids but told me she'd been sitting around all afternoon for my call, and finally she'd just received an estate that was worth well over a million dollars and decided to keep me in the dark.

Why was she cc-ed? If she was dead there was no reason to send it to her, and the only reason the property would be transferred is if she were. But she had sent her approval or someone had, which meant it was necessary which meant she could very well be alive.

I looked up the lawyer who sent the original email but it was unfamiliar and certainly not the person who generally handled my mother's business.

Even more curious.

I googled the man but aside from a few wealthy clients who had praised his work in the news and a penchant for handling medical suits I found very little. I did find his resume, which boasted and incredibly list of schools, which he had attended, as well as a series of awards. Whoever he was, his credentials were outstanding. Which meant he didn't come cheap so whoever hired him must be wealthy.

I decided to let go of that particular lead for the moment and pick up on my second one.

Searching Cullen was fruitless, there were hundreds of hits, however on a whim I decided to look up the hospitals in Seattle. There were two that caught my eye.

One was located on Cullen Boulevard and the second bore Cullen in the name of one of its wings.

The hospital on Cullen street had no further affiliation with the it. The street appeared to have been named after a Daniel Cullen who passed away in 1972 who had made generous contributions to the state. The hospital was constructed nearly two years later. Seemed like a dead end.

Door number two was more fruitful. A man who donated several million dollars to have the cardiac wing re-modeled bequeathed the Cullen name to the hospital. I found the hospital's website and looked over pictures of the wing which was impressive to say the least, surrounded in glass and complete with a dynamic, abstract structure that depicted the circulatory system within the atria of the heart in perfect detail.

Impressed, I looked for more information on the Cullen that was so generous but there wasn't even a first name. The artist however had left not only their name but also a phone number.

It was designed by an M.A. Brandon.

I called the number and waited with baited breath as light, feminine voice answered.

"Hello, this is Alice."

"Hi," The word came out shaky and I cleared my throat.

"Who is this?" She inquired and I almost didn't want to speak just to hear her voice again, it was impossibly musical.

"This is-this is Kim." I decided my first name was enough at this point. "I saw that you designed the structure outside the Cullen Cardiac Wing in Seattle?"

"Yes."

"I'm studying to be an artist and I was incredibly impressed."

"Thank you, Kim. That's very kind of you." She was polite but I could tell she knew I was calling for a different reason.

"I was wondering if you could tell me who hired you?"

"Certainly, I was hired by the hospital's board of directors."

"Oh, not the Cullen who the wing is named after?" I queried, trying my best to sound nonchalant. But she must have picked up on my curiosity because when she spoke again, her voice was just the slightest bit more clipped.

"No, I'm afraid not. If that's all, then I must go-"

"Wait!" I called, gripping the table light in emphasis but she had already hung up.

I let out a breath; well, time for a new strategy.

Looking up the hospital's phone number I dialed and was put through after a few minutes to a bored secretary who was smacking her gum loudly and obnoxiously.

"Hi, is there a Dr. Cullen, I could speak to?" I asked, venturing a guess that anyone who donated that much to rebuild a hospital wing was either a patient or a doctor.

"No, I'm sorry, there is no Dr, Cullen working here." _Smack_. She sounded distracted.

"Can you check again, please?" I asked, trying my best not to sound irritated at her flippant attitude.

I heard the brief rustle of papers, before she responded again.

"I'm sorry, there's no one here by that name." She sounded even more bored than before.

"But there is a wing in your hospital named after a Cullen, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Do you by any chance know the first name of the person who donated that wing?"

"I'm sorry, but that information is classified." I groaned in disappointment but then an idea struck me. It was a long shot but it was also all I had to go on.

"My name is Alice Brandon, I designed the structure outside, I just need to confirm the spelling of Dr. Cullen's name for a resume as well as his contact information."

"One moment." I heard a click before some banal advertisement came over as I was transferred.

"Hello, this is Francesca from Human Resources. How can I help you?"

"Hi Francesca, my name is Alice Brandon." I tried my best to impersonate the dainty soprano but I knew it was a mediocre impression at best.

"Alice! How wonderful to hear from you! We've had so many compliments about your work."

"Thank you. You are very kind." I parroted, easily responding with exactly what Alice had said to me earlier.

"Can I just ask if you can spell Dr. Cullen's first name for me? It's for my resume."

"Oh, I'm sorry Alice, Dr. Cullen specifically asked that his first name be kept private in all documentation."

"Well, Francesca, to be honest, the real reason I'm asking is a bit embarrasing. I wanted to send him an email to ask for a letter of recommendation for an internship but I can't for the life of me remember how to spell it and I would hate to get it wrong."

There was a pause and but then to my relief I heard her clicking away on her computer. A chuckle came over after.

"I'm surprised you couldn't sound this one out." She responded before spelling it out obediently.

We hung up soon after I'd thanked her.

_Dr. Carlisle Cullen, you're not as hard to find as you might think._

I googled his name and I felt a feeling of intense anxiety come over me. There was a Dr. Carlisle Cullen who worked for the Forks General Hospital.

I was so close. The surge of hope that followed was so incredibly strong. I was about to find out where my parents were, I was sure of it. This Dr. Cullen, whoever he was, was one of the last people to see my parents. And if anything, he'd know if they were alive.

I set up an appointment. The office told me that he was booked until Friday and but I took it. I asked what the likelihood of catching him for a quick question as a walk-in was but the nurse just laughed.

I took that as a negative.

I felt my high sinking at this, but I tried my best to ignore that; after all I had the appointment and I was going to find out, even if I did have to wait a week.

The bell above the door tinkled again and I looked up and to my surprise Jared walked in, Nina in tow.

She looked over and saw me and offered me a tentative smile. She pushed Jared and walked him to the other end of the counter, furthest from me.

I almost laughed at this, it was incredibly juvenile but clearly Nina didn't trust me as much as she claimed to yesterday. I let it go to the back of my mind, at least now I wouldn't have to come up with some bogus explanation to give Jared.

But as luck would have it, the woman at the table in front of me knocked her glass to the floor, drawing everyone's attention to her and consequently, Jared's gaze landed on me.

I tossed him a little wave and he bent to whisper something to Nina, who looked displeased but resigned, before heading over.

I shut my computer quickly, just as he fluidly fell into the seat across from me.

He was wearing a dark blue polo today, which fit snugly against his torso, with a black thermal underneath.

"Hey Kim." He grinned, his voice playful. Someone was in a good mood. It was certainly infectious.

"Hey Jared." I responded, amused.

"Is that your Mac?" He asked and without preamble tugged it towards him. He started to open it but I quickly slid my hand over and pushed firmly down on the lid.

"Yes." I drew it back to me and he shot me a confused glance before smirking.

"Porn?" I shook my head at his antics, but his smile was so wonderfully compelling that I couldn't help but laugh.

"Naturally." I deadpanned and he laughed. I could have listened to it all day, it was one of those laughs that was loud, but not too loud and had just the right depth to it.

"What are you two doing today?" I asked, tilting my head back in Nina's general direction.

"Not too much, Nina wanted coffee. I have some errands to run later."

"Nothing for you?"

"I don't actually like coffee." I looked at him curiously but he just shrugged.

"Oh." I cast about for something else to say.

"Kim?" I looked up at him, pleased that I didn't have to think of something.

"Jared?" I questioned back.

"Where's my explanation?"

I halted at that before glancing behind me, but Nina was absently tapping the counter, her gaze directed at the man who was making her coffee.

Jared must have read into the poorly disguised gesture because he laughed.

"Scared of Nina?"

"Uh, _yes_?" I hedged sarcastically, relieved that he was buying this. But apparently Jared's mind was more focused than I thought

"Listen, I have to take mom to the hospital later, but how about I swing by your place after and you tell me what's going on." He offered, smiling persuasively but it was lost on me as I zeroed on the word hospital.

"Is she okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, fine, why?" He ran a hand through his hair, which distracted me momentarily but I quickly snapped my attention back to him.

"Just wondering why you were taking her."

"Oh, she doesn't like driving on the highway."

"Where are you going?" My interest peaked, but I tried to make my questions come out as nonchalantly as possible. He looked at me for a moment but seemed to decide it was harmless enough.

"Forks General." I couldn't believe my luck, maybe he knew Dr. Cullen.

"Have you ever met a Dr. Cullen there?"

He nodded before raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, he's been mom's cardiologist for a few years." He looked expectant. I rushed forward; spewing out lies almost faster than I could make them up. I briefly considered the irony in the fact that I called Jared my friend just yesterday and yet nearly our entire relationship was based on lies. However, it couldn't be helped, it's not like I could just come out and tell him that my parents had been kidnapped and possibly murdered and I was hunting down their captor on my own. Besides some of this was true, it was _almost_ like improvement.

"Alice Brandon designed a sculpture for the wing of a hospital he donated money to and I was hoping I could get in some face time with her."

"So your taking advantage of my mother's heart condition for your own personal gain?" He asked, his face stony and I faltered. I felt a chill run through me, it sounded terrible when you put it like that. I hastily started to apologize but he started smirking wickedly part way through.

"You're full of surprises, aren't you, Kim?" His voice didn't seem upset but I proceeded cautiously anyway.

"Thanks..?" He looked at me in surprise at hesitance in my voice and his gaze softened a little.

"Calm down, I was just kidding. I guess it'd be cool if you came. But just to warn you, these appointments tend to take a while."

"Tell you what, you let me come along and introduce me to Dr. Cullen and I promise to explain everything while we're in the waiting room."

He mulled it over for a second before grinning.

"Deal." He held out his hand and I shook it as quickly as possible, glancing back nervously at Nina. She was thankfully otherwise occupied, her hand pressed against the bartender's arm as she leaned forward coquettishly. I looked at Jared but he seemed completely relaxed.

Maybe he hadn't noticed.

"Is it cool if you meet me there? Say four?" I nodded and he got up. I sat on my hands quickly to prevent me from doing something ridiculous like grabbing the hand that was just under a foot away so he'd stay.

He looked up at Nina who was still entwined around the bartender and he grimaced. I tried to ignore it. It wasn't my business.

"I've gotta go extract my girlfriend from that dude over there, but I'll see you later Kim." Apparently he was against pretense of any sort. I gave him an apologetic look, unsure of what I could say but he laughed it off.

I watched him walk over and Nina drop the barista's arm instantly. Jared slung an arm easily around her waist and I saw the guy behind the counter take a few steps back. He looked slightly frightened. I considered Jared's height and while he wasn't exceedingly muscled or anything, he had some serious glare power going for him and the look he just shot that guy didn't look like much fun.

I shrunk back a little, remembering when just yesterday I'd been on the receiving end of one of those and shivered.

Jared wasn't one to get upset, I was weaving a dangerous web with all my lies and if he found out about them the wrong way...well I'd just have to be exceedingly careful, that was all. He wasn't going to find out.

I watched them walk out of the store and I saw Jared look over his shoulder at me, giving me a nod and I smiled back. His eyes glittered under the lights. He was like a wolf, I thought to myself: all emphatic eyes and supple strength, but feral the instant his territory was threatened.

I didn't realize how close that observation was until much, much later.

But right then, all I did was watch him walk out, his gait purposeful. A wicked sort of smile crossed my face, as I leaned back in my chair, my eyes trained on him.

Suddenly, the view from where I sat didn't seem so bad after all.


	17. Goodbye Mr C

Disclaimer: Not mine, title inspired by _Goodbye Mr. A_ by The Hoosiers

A/N: So this is the second to last chapter because time caught up with me and so we're just going to have two super long chapters to finish up instead of a four shorter ones. :P Well I'm not entirely sure what constitutes long but this is super long for me anyhow, I'm still working on getting to the length of the crazy ones that y'all have done!

Anyhow I hope you enjoy this, things get a little…interesting between Jared and Kim and any feedback would be awesome because I'm trying to work on getting emotions right and I never know if I'm off or not.

You guys are amazing! Sorry about the wait!

-S

**Chapter 13: Goodbye Mr. C**

Four o'clock came quickly and with it brought a dense fog that shrouded the streets in dampness.

I stepped away from my car, having decided to drive over incase I needed a quick getaway. Other than making generous donations and being a decent physician, I didn't know much about Dr. Cullen and certainly not enough to know if he was friend or foe. People could be all sorts of honorable while harboring deep secrets.

Jared was nowhere to be seen so I assumed he was inside, at any rate, I was not averse to getting indoors, it was chilly.

Fork's General was an impressive structure for the small town it served. The winding corridors were white and sterile and surrounded by glass. It was bursting optimism and the scent of anti-bacterial hand wash.

I stepped into a small waiting room where Nurse Linda directed me to a chair.

Jared, my step-brother, or at least as far as Linda was concerned, had just taken his mother into the room and would be out shortly.

There were two other people in the waiting room: an older gentleman in his late seventies or so and a younger man who looked about forty. Both looked preoccupied by their magazines. I had just begun to reach over for one when Jared stepped out of an adjacent hallway.

His mouth relaxed into a smile as he saw me, and he walked over, hands embedded in his pockets. He collapsed into the chair next to me.

"Hey." I offered in greeting and he responded with a nod before waving me on. His good mood from earlier had been lost somewhere between this morning and now.

That probably wouldn't help matters. I decided to just tell him, at least the version I'd cooked up for this conversation. I wanted to get this over with.

"Detective Lucas arrested me because my father's secretary reported that someone was on the property, and had opened the register." I paused here trying to read him but he just watched me: eyes focused and mouth tensed somewhere between a smile and nothing at all.

I figured I should just continue.

"I was just borrowing some cash, my parents left town for a while and I thought it'd be easier than going to an ATM." I let out a breath. Now, I just had to see if he would take the bait.

"So you stole from your mother." His voice was monotonous. He sounded almost bored and if it wasn't for the intensity in the eyes that were trained on me, I would think he was.

"I didn't _steal_-"

"Don't." He rubbed a hand over his face tiredly before dropping it. He looked like he'd aged ten years since the last time I saw him.

"Just stop it, okay? If you're going to do shit like that, at least man up and admit." His voice was harsh but I knew he meant well, I hadn't exactly admitted to walking an old lady across the street.

"You're right." I said, subdued, averting my gaze.

"So they let you off easy because…?" He trailed off but he sounded bored, uncaring and I felt it cut through me. I'd rather have Jared mad at me than like this. At least then I knew it meant he was actively caring, this absence on his part was devastating.

But why should he care; up until a few days ago, Jared had never even spoken to me.

"She dropped the charges. She was the one I called in the interrogation room." I clapped myself on the back for that one; it was possibly the longest true sentence I'd ever uttered to Jared.

He leaned back before looking over.

"Why'd you do it?"

Ah. Interesting, I hadn't thought he'd ask that one. Think, Kim, _think_.

"It's my birthday today," I blurted out, trying to think of something that would fit his perception of me. This was the only thing, as trite and cliché a lie as it was, that stuck.

"My parents are...occupied. I get it, I do. But sometimes, I just feel this _need_ to do something to-to make them remember I exist." I felt so cowardly then, using my parents as a scapegoat, it was unthinkable.

Jared broke through my self-hate with a rough chuckle.

"So you really are the poor little rich girl whose parents don't care about her, huh?" His eyes were a jovial shade of mahogany that shone over me.

I offered him a small smile.

He opened his mouth to say something but a doctor stepped out into the room, attracting Jared's attention.

The doctor was remarkably good-looking; I observed, his hair platinum, arrayed artfully over flawless skin. His eyes were a haunting shade of ochre, the skin beneath shadowed by a lack of proper rest.

He stepped closer and beckoned to Jared and with a thrill I realized that Dr. Cullen was just feet away from me.

I took a deep breath and tried to quiet my racing heart. It felt like everyone in the room could hear the dull pounding. To my surprise, Dr. Cullen looked right at me, the, his gaze curious.

"Jared?" His voice, a shade shy of an alto, was perfect in pitch and breadth. No wonder he made such a good doctor, it was an incredibly believable voice.

My guard went up. I'd bet my life on the fact that he was a good liar.

But Jared seemed to trust him with his mother and that was something I wouldn't forget.

"Dr. Cullen." He nodded before turning back slightly and pushing me forward. His hand was placed firmly against the small of my back and I cherished the solidity of it. But it disappeared as soon as I was placed appropriately close to Dr. Cullen.

"This is Kim, a…friend." He introduced and I felt myself redden at the word friend. It was strangely gratifying to hear him say it.

Dr. Cullen looked over and for a second I swear I saw his eyes widen but he looked so incredibly congenial just a moment later that I supposed I must have imagined it.

"Hi, I'm so sorry to barge in on you like this, I know you must be terribly busy."

"Not at all, how can I help you, Kim?" He offered with such generosity that I was seconds away from just telling the good doctor everything.

"I…there was a piece of artwork that you commissioned for a hospital in Seattle by an Alice-"

"Brandon?" He finished for me. And I nodded. He smiled then.

"It's an impeccable piece of work, isn't it?" I nodded vigorously.

"It is! I was wondering if I might ask you a few questions about it...in private?"

He paused at this before looked over at Jared who shrugged.

"Of course, my office is just around the corner."

He turned then and continued down the hallway. I tossed Jared a wave before following Dr. Cullen

He lead me into a medium sized room, a dark rosewood desk sprawling over the eastern floor, the back facing a wall-sized window that looked over the Olympic forests.

He offered me a seat and waited until I had seated myself before sitting himself.

"So, Kim, how can I help you?"

I coughed lightly before taking a breath and starting.

"I'm not really here to talk about art."

"I surmised as much. I'm guessing you're here about your parents?" I was flabbergasted, I thought I'd have to drag it out of him. Perhaps Dr. Cullen was going to be helpful after all.

I leaned back, and relaxed slightly against the chair I was in.

"Yes."

He nodded. And then placed two perfectly manicured hands on the table in front of him, the fingers evenly splayed.

I watched him carefully but he stayed still then, waiting for me to talk.

"Do you know where they are?" His face turned down in disappointment. He didn't respond for a second and I started to protest but he held up a palm to silence me.

"Kim, the police have their opinions on who should discuss this with you, I am not on that list."

"But Dr. Cullen, I-"

"I do not agree with them on this matter." He finished and when he smiled this time, I almost wept with relief

_Finally_, I had found someone who knew something conclusive about my parents.

"What can you tell me?"

"It's a bit of a long story." But I assured him I had nothing but time for him. I paused then, for a second.

"What about Jared's mother?"

He smiled at that, seemingly pleased with my concern.

"She'll be fine, the nurses are putting her through some rudimentary testing."

"Okay." I motioned for him to continue. He paused to lean back against the magnificent, leather chair behind him and placed his fingertips together, tapping them once, twice, and thrice as he considered where to begin.

"Did you know you were born in this very hospital. It was before I was a doctor, I was much younger then." He gave a laugh at this but I was surprised. He didn't look a day over 25. "I've even met you before, just once however."

"You were about ten or eleven, your parents brought you in for a check up, you'd sprained you ankle. Your mother told me that you had never been so calm in a hospital until now. I think she said you enjoyed the architecture."

I nodded for him to continue.

"I wish I could have foretold the nature of our second visit for the next time I met your parents, the circumstances would be most dire. I was the physician the Police called to _Mark_ on the night your parents _disappeared_." He stopped then and eyed me curiously, as if waiting for me to ask a question. I took note of the way he said the word disappeared. And then it hit me: you only needed a doctor if there were bodies.

"Why would they call you if there were no victims?"

"Precisely."

"Because to the public, you're parents had disappeared, but they were very much present that night. The officer in charge, Detective Lucas, transferred them to my care. We flew them by helicopter to the hospital in Seattle and but they had no ID on them, everything had been taken. Even I could barely recognize them."

I felt the horror pierce through my system and what felt like bile rose up in my throat. I swallowed hard before gripping the arm rests and steadying myself. I _needed_ to hear this, I reminded myself.

"Are you alright?" He questioned, noting my vice-grips that were no doubt leaving fingerprints on his chair. I loosened my fingers and nodded sheepishly.

"I'm fine." My words were short and breathy but he continued regardless.

"They were marred." He summed up, and I thanked him silently in my head for the brevity of that description.

"I cared for them as best I could but I was unsuccessful."

I looked up at him sharply at that refusing to believe the words he was telling me but the fear gripping my heart was real, more real than I could ever ignore.

I felt my eyes starting to moisten and my throat grew impossibly dry. I sucked in air as fast as I could, counting my breaths out in my mind and calmed myself down as much as I could.

_Now_ was not the time.

"What do you-you mean by _unsuccessful_?" His face was sympathetic but it only focused me more, I couldn't stand the desperate empathy on his face; I wanted answers not_ pity_.

"They passed on, Kim."

"No, no-you're lying." My voice was low but my words took effect.

"Kim, you have to face the truth."

"No, I _don't_. You are _lying_." There was no way, if my parents had died, under his care; he was required _by law_ to tell me what had happened.

"Why would you keep it quiet?"

"Because their bodies disappeared from the morgue." I gasped for breath, the words felt liked they'd punched their way through my gut and I bent in half. My mind was spiraling into a dangerous place as the tears started to pour down my face.

I absently wiped them away, forcing myself to sit back and gritted my teeth against the crushing urge to cry until all of the hurt went away.

"What else?" The words were ground out, I could feel the raw tenor to my voice and he looked surprised but I couldn't tell if it was at the intensity, or the fact that I was still talking to him.

"I don't know anything else, Kim, I'm very sorry for your loss."

"They could be alive?" I asked suddenly, you don't steel dead bodies out of a morgue.

"No, I'm sorry, Kim," he repeated. "I called the time of death myself."

The world grew cold then, as if all the light was sucked out of it. The room was dimmer than I remembered it when I walked in. I vaguely felt myself thanking the doctor who stood looking impossibly concerned but I waved him off.

I think I must have told him something along the lines of the fact that I needed time alone. I needed to process it.

I think I shook his hand and it was so cold, just like everything else; so inhumanly cold.

The walk to the waiting room was a blurry mess of hastily wiping tears away from my face and shoving back the information I had just learned, trying to find that flimsy thread of stability that was evading me.

I leaned against the cold concrete walls of the corridor; my forehead pressed against it and closed my eyes, shutting myself off from the world until I could be steady.

It took time but with deep breaths and a focus on getting home, I somehow managed to bury my parents deep within the recesses of my mind.

I wiped away the last of my tears and walked into the waiting room.

Jared was seated in the same place I had left him and suddenly I wished so hard to return to that moment in time and decide against talking to Dr. Cullen. I had been wrong before, this was a hundred times worse than not knowing their fate.

Before I had hope, now I had nothing, and no _one_.

Jared stood, upon seeing my face but I offered him a tight smile.

"Kim?" He sounded worried and I swallowed thickly at that. Concern would make me lose it; I knew that.

"Jared, I'm not feeling so well. So I'm going to head out. " My voice was gone, barely a rasp left but I forged ahead determinedly. I just needed to get home.

"Kim, what's _wrong?_" There was a steeliness to his voice that I recognized from the rooftop.

"I've just got a bad migraine." I was focused on a speck of dirt on his shoe; it was an odd sort of shape.

"_Kim_-"

"Thanks for _this_, I'll see you at school." I finished rapidly, hastily waving before walking out as quickly as I could. I heard his footsteps following me, so as soon as I hit the hallway outside I broke into a sprint, my face was wet again, there was no way to stop it this time.

I ran hard, my feet pounding against the floor and somehow I made it outside without him and I was just about to open the door to my car when his fingers wrapped around my wrist and turned me.

His face, twisted in annoyance, softened almost instantly at the sight of my face, which I was certain wasn't all that attractive at the moment. I tended to get all blotchy and red-eyed when I cried. He loosened his grip on my wrist but didn't let go as if afraid I would bolt.

I raised my other hand and hastily wiped it across my cheeks but it was unsuccessful, they were drenched within seconds again. I took a hitching breath and tried to keep calm but it seem the damn had broken.

We stood there, me pressed into my car and him standing before me, his fingers on my wrist firm and unyielding.

It took me awhile but finally I managed to breathe normally and I felt an odd sort of catharsis. I hadn't been crying, it was more like breathing heavily while letting my eyes wring themselves dry but it was a release that I hadn't had in days.

His fingers slipped from my wrist and wrapped themselves around my hand, intertwining my own with his.

He lifted my chin and the concern; the support in his face nearly started me up again. He looked so disturbed by the fact that I was upset that I managed to pull myself together a little bit.

"I'm-I'm sorry." I intoned and he smiled at that before chuckling.

"_Never_ apologize for that." He told me seriously and picked up my other hand.

We were a circle then, contacted at either end and I felt safe for a moment, so blindingly safe. I just managed to stop myself from leaning into him.

"What happened in there?"

I shook my head at the question and to my relief he seemed content with that answer.

"You're not hurt right?" I didn't even know how to answer that one, I felt like I was hurting so much that I couldn't tell where it ended or began or if it had all numbed down to dull roar.

I just knew that I never wanted him to let go.

"I'm fine." I shot him a watery smile and he laughed at that, but it was humorless.

"Bullshit."

I smiled before suddenly deciding I didn't really care about anything or anyone else right then and I let myself fall forward into his chest and expelled a breath at the warmth that was present.

He stiffened slightly before hesitantly resting his chin on my head.

I didn't want to think about anything, just stay here in this incredible place, surrounded by Jared's warmth, his cologne and resting against his soft, _soft_ polo.

He pulled back then, dropping one of my hands and I felt a secret thrill through me at the fact that he was still holding on to the other.

"Kim?"

"Yeah?" I asked weakly, but my voice came out stronger than before.

"Happy Birthday." He smiled and I chuckled.

"Thanks."

"I'm sorry I didn't get you anything." He actually sounded slightly apologetic. I looked up at him in surprise but he wasn't serious, at least not entirely.

I looked back down before a thought hit me.

"Jared?"

"Yeah?" I faltered a little, unsure if this was an okay favor to ask. He reached over and brushed a stray bit of hair from my face. His motion gave me a sudden burst of confidence.

"Can I have a hug?" I looked up at him and watched his face transition from surprise to almost affection. His eyes were soft and buttery in this light, the brown turning almost hazel. He nodded lightly but didn't say anything. He let go of my other hand.

I flipped my gaze upwards quizzically but he just rolled his eyes before pushing me a little to my left, his hand grasping my waist tightly.

I moved over obediently, too overcome with the fact that his had was on my hip to process what was going on. He placed his other hand gingerly on my other side before tightening his grip and lifting me onto the car. I let out a gasp of surprise before catching myself on his forearms, which were firm and taunt beneath my grasp.

He barely looked strained as he lifted me.

"What was that for?"

"Just-trust me." He leaned his head in as he said it and the last word or two came out as breath over my ears. I shivered. He pulled me into his arms suddenly and I slung my arms around his neck, pillowing my head against his shoulder.

It was incredible; I didn't know it was possible to be this comfortable while touching another person.

"It's pretty good, huh?" I felt a jolt run all the way through me as he bent to whisper in my ear again. His lips brushed against the lobe as he spoke and it took everything in me to stop myself from tugging his head around the front and kissing him senseless.

"Yeah-I'd say so." I replied shakily and at this he let out an airy chuckle before tightening his grip a little.

I felt my mind drift back to the news I had just received and I felt horrible suddenly. The ache started to spread, sprawling through my nerves, the pain was dull and pounding and spreading from my abdomen outwards. I clutched onto Jared harder; there was no way to outrun this beast.

I felt it all coming back to me and as hard as I could try to stop it, I lost control of my breathing pattern again. I started hyperventilating; there wasn't _enough_ air.

Breath.

_Gasp._

Breath.

_Gasp._

_ Gasp._

And then it began again. Jared rubbed my back, in great sweeping circles.

"Focus on my hands." He whispered, nuzzling his face into my neck. I did, counting the strokes, and the buttery feeling they left behind. Progress was slow, but eventually I started breathing with them and I calmed down again. I felt him pull back but I tightened my grip resolutely, not ready to let go yet.

He chuckled before, moving away anyway. I wasn't strong enough to hold him against me, even if I tried. The emptiness threatened to rip at me again but I clenched my hands against my sides. I wasn't going to give in again.

"Kim, are you _sure_ you're okay?" He was being all wonderful and concerned again.

It made me want to tell him everything and part of me thought I could. But as Jared looked at me, his eyes wonderfully slanted over my face, I realized that it was too much.

I'd known Jared for three days. _Three_ days. Honestly, to me, it felt like we'd known each other for are longer, but to him, what was I really?

_He just spent ages making you feel better_, I reminded myself. But on the other hand, it's not like Jared's ever been bad with girls; this stuff probably comes second nature to him. He tilted my chin up a little and I smiled at him as best as I could. I couldn't tell him, not like this.

"Yeah."

He didn't reply but just leaned forward, his hands on either side of me and placed his head against mine.

And we stayed like that for a quiet moment before he let out a breath and brushed his nose against my own.

"Kim?"

"Yeah?" The word came out so softly, almost like I didn't say it. We were on the precipice of something so delicate and it was balanced just so. I felt like a loud noise or even a sudden motion would push us over the edge.

He brushed his nose against mine again and then met my gaze. His eyes were drunk with lust, dizzyingly soft and I exhaled against his lips as he drew even closer.

I lightly placed my hands on against the nape of his neck, letting a few of my fingers just tug at his hair.

He blew against my face and I felt his breathing grow a little heavier.

He leaned in just so and then, and _then_, nothing.

He was gone, well, he was still there but his head was lowered and he was moving further and further from me and as much as I wanted to pull him back to keep him with me, I knew I couldn't. I let him withdraw himself from me.

I had just expelled a quick breath when I felt the tears start to return. Trying to distract myself I pushed myself off my car and rubbed my neck vigorously. But the pounding pain in my chest grew with each thump of my heart and I felt the rejection spread through my veins like poison.

I wanted to go. I _needed_ to get away from here.

Jared looked up at me the frustration on his face evident and I recoiled.

He was upset, I didn't know about what but I knew that if I stayed here any longer I was going to lose it again.

"Kim-" his voice was so raw and aggravated that I couldn't bare it.

"It's fine, don't worry about it." I managed as I unlocked my car door and shoved myself into the front seat, viciously jerking the key into the hole and turning the car on.

Jared was still standing there as I flew out of the parking lot and his slouched, retreating posture in my rear view mirror was the last thing I saw before my vision started to blur.

I pulled over to the side of the road, a few miles away, and I wept.


	18. Far From Home

Disclaimer: Not mine, the title is inspired by _May It Be_ by Enya, from the ridiculously incredible Fellowship of the Ring Soundtrack.

A/N: It's been a hell of a ride for me; I've never completed a story although it honestly doesn't feel like the end considering there are two more books to be written. It just feels like the beginning. ;)

You might have noticed that this is the first time I'm including an epigraph but it's just because those four lines from the song just rang so true with Kim's state of being right now and at the end of book one. If you haven't heard this song, stop reading, right now, and go listen to it, it's incredible. :) But then you should come back and read and review. ;)

Just to reassure you and perhaps to goad you into coming back and reading Book 2, I thought I'd leave y'all with its title. It's at the end of the chapter, figured I'd make you read all the way through before you get that treat...or I suppose you could just scroll down but we'll pretend you can't. ;)

But for now I'm signing off and packing my bags and heading across the world and the equator to a land of wonderful sun, succulent fruit and lots and lots of family. :)

Hope your summers are wonderful and I'll catch y'all on the flip side. ;)

-S

* * *

**Chapter 18: Far From Home**

_May it be when darkness falls__  
__Your heart will be true__  
__You walk a lonely road__  
__Oh! How far you are from home_

-_May It Be, Enya_

Monday's in art were always designated as free sketch, or 'fetch' as Ms. Martequoi liked to say, as if one was fetching the images from the subconscious alone. Often the students were asked to draw blindfolded or in the dark. It was an experimental period and usually the most unusual and most enjoyable day of school. Well for me, at least.

Today, I just sat there, numb, the room dark and there was nothing, I felt no inspiration, no reason to draw. I was lost and alone and my parents were _dead_. I felt my breath speed up so I sat on my fingers, digging them into the chair. It was _okay_. I was _fine._ I repeated until it became some semblance of the truth.

I could hear the scratching of pencils on the desk next to me but my own space was silent. I didn't want to draw. I just wanted to sit in the dark and be okay. Find some peace. I needed to get away from everything.

I had thought about not coming to school, taking a hiatus, but I couldn't. My house was driving me mad, the memories were everywhere, _they_ were everywhere but where I needed them to be. I needed to get out, I needed to be around people. It gave me a distraction.

It was so quiet in the house. I didn't sleep last night, just wandered from room to room, looking for them, desperate. I had some insane theory that if they knew how much I missed them they would come back.

Needless to say it wasn't successful.

The lights flipped on and I shut my eyes against it. It was dark again. Everything felt better in the dark.

Miss Martequoi tapped my shoulder, her fingers gentle but persuasive.

I let out a breath and then slowly opened my eyes.

I could feel my vision waver but I held fast, I had to get through today. One day at time, that's how I was going to handle this. I know, I _know_ I can do this.

"Kim?"

"I'm fine." I breathed before smiling, but she just shook her head in disapproval.

"Kim, your page is blank. You're meant to use this time to exorcise your emotions."

"I'm feeling a little bland today." I quipped and she laughed lightly before sitting down across from me.

"How's your project coming along?" I sat up straighter, I had forgotten all about it. But there was time to finish it, I reminded myself, she just wanted an update.

"Great." My voice took on a new enthusiasm and for a moment I felt myself feel just a shade more normal.

Encouraging.

"I got my models, I even did the sketches." Reaching into my bag, I pulled out the test shots and explained the concept.

Miss Martequoi just sat back, her face amused and supportive in all the right places.

When I finished, a rather grand smile was draped across her face, her eyes twinkling in the light of the setting sun. It was radiant and I could almost feel the warmth seep into me and douse me in its glow. _Almost_.

"Kim, you're very special, you know that right?" I felt my eyes flood at her words. I swallowed hard, nodding before ducking my head a little.

"Thank you." The words came out a whisper but she laughed gaily.

"Oh this sounds just incredible! You know, there's an art show that the local gallery puts on every month and I have a feeling that this piece would be of interest."

I'd never had anything shown before! I ignored the fact that my parents wouldn't be there to see it with everything I had in me and smiled at her.

I had to focus on the good. There had been enough bad, now I had to focus on making my life better. That was all I could do. And here, better was being offered to me on a silver platter.

"That's amazing. Do you really think they'll go for it?" She nodded, clapping her hands before leaning in.

"I know the selection committee's chairman very will." She whispered, tapping her nose.

I chuckled.

"Thanks, Miss. M."

She sat up then, placing a hand on my shoulder and giving me a friendly squeeze. I barely kept my hands from grasping onto hers. I missed my mother. She gave the most incredibly hugs, they were tight and fast and we'd usually end up on the floor laughing afterwards. But she wasn't my mother, my mother was _dead_. The word was starting to lose it's effect, I'd tried it out so many different ways since yesterday and now it just sounded empty and vague. Not to different from how I felt. I wished for a second that I could have buried them, it felt so uncivilized not to have even been given that opportunity.

The was bright, it's rays dancing across the walls but after a moment I realized I couldn't place the color. It wasn't quite red, it wasn't amber, it was too dark for orange. That was peculiar, I'd always found a special sort of connection with the vibrant colors in nature, in art, in _people_ but now, everything just seemed so gray, so lifeless. Even the suns rays seemed too pastel, more than they should be.

Miss Martequoi shot me an odd, watery smile before motioning her head towards the door. I looked around in surprise; everyone else had already left.

"Go on Kim, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye!" I called as I hastily grabbed my things and walked out into the deserted hallway. I paused at the end, leaning against the concrete, hoping for a break. I needed to get out of here but I didn't want to go home.

_Home_. Didn't feel much like one anymore.

I stood up, I needed to leave school at any rate. I'd successfully avoided Jared all day; I wasn't about to run into him now.

Art had once again been let out before everyone else but I was thankful for the emptiness of the halls.

I walked to my locker surprised to see two tall, large figures looming over it. From the back they looked a bit like Jared but their hair was shorn far shorter than his, almost buzzed. They were bent towards each other in deep discussion, their voices hushed and only carrying across as murmurs.

I moved cautiously towards them and was surprised when they stilled as I approached. I stopped a few feet from them and watched as they both turned to face me, their faces hard and furious.

I faltered. I wasn't sure what I could have done to upset them. I felt like I should know who they were but nothing was coming to mind just yet. I'd have to wait and see what they wanted.

"Kim, isn't it?" It was meant as a question but it came out as a statement. It was clear they knew exactly who I was.

I nodded, swallowing thickly. My heart was racing; this really wasn't the time.

"We saw you yesterday." The taller one whispered, his biceps bulging as he clenched his fist. I took in their outfits; they were wearing torn jeans, and wife-beaters that were just shy of fitting them. Their muscles threatened to rip the poor cloth to shreds. If they were here to intimidate, they had certainly succeeded.

I waited. Sometimes it was better to hear people out before you started defending yourself. Made you seem more...sincere.

"Paul." The other one hissed, Paul turned and rolled his eyes before back away.

"My name is Sam, Sam Uley." I nodded, and offered a small smile. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad.

"What were you doing at the hospital?" Paul's voice came out clenched.

"I-" but my voice gave and I shoved my gaze to the floor, focusing on a crack. I could do this. I cleared my throat and started again.

"I was at the hospital, why do you think I was there?" Suddenly it hit me. I had heard of these two. Sam and Paul were well known around the reservation for being secretive and impulsive. They were in cahoots with the council elders, which gave them unparalleled freedom amongst the community. I had never really understood the hushed nervousness in people's voices when they came up in conversation, I figured they were just like me, a little bit different. But now, up close, I was starting to get it. They were powerful, in ways beyond the obvious. Their strength was subtle, in the way they carried themselves. There was something different about them, but they were _not_ like me.

Still my business at the hospital was just that, _my_ business. Besides I had an inkling that they were no friends of Dr. Cullen. I wasn't a hundred percent certain how I felt about him just yet. On the one hand I was thankful he had told me but really how much compassion can you have with the man who just told you your parents died?

Still I felt more comfortable with him than I did with these two. I held my chin out determinedly before raising my gaze to meet theirs.

"Stop playing around, Kim." Paul almost growled but Sam silenced him with a raised hand.

"Kim, we need to know why you were there."

"No you don't, and if you'll excuse me, I have places to be." There, that wasn't so hard.

"Kim…" I could tell even Sam, no matter how much he tried to hide it, was losing patience with me but that simply wasn't my problem. There was no reason to tell them what they wanted. A small voice at the back of me head tried to convince that if I told them, they'd back off but I stood firm. I had lost enough; I wasn't going to give in to this now. I just had to be strong a moment or two longer. That was it.

Breathe, Kim. _Breathe._

I wished someone were around. After all, courage in numbers was a far easier quality to have.

"Yes." My voice came out clipped and I was proud of myself, even though the hands I had pressed behind me were trembling.

"Why were you talking to Dr. Cullen?" I took a deep breath at that. How did they know that? Jared wouldn't have told them, I was sure of it.

"I- I wasn't, I don't even know who that is." My lies were getting sloppy; I needed to regroup. But there was no escape, I had to figure out something and quickly.

"I have an aunt that's sick, I was visiting her, that's all." I improvised before turning around and opening my locker in haste, if I could grab my stuff and make it outside I'd be fine. Here in the deserted hallways I had no security. There was still another fifteen minutes until classes officially let out.

"Stop lying, _Kimmy_." Paul's voice cut in again, furious. I felt my resolve waver. I just wanted them to leave me alone. I pulled a book into my bag methodically, trying to feign nonchalance as best I could.

Sam actually turned around and hushed him this time and I drew in a breath in relief. Sam, at least, was reasonable, determined but reasonable. Paul was entirely unpredictable and it frightened me.

What did they have against Dr. Cullen? I scanned my limited knowledge of him but as far as I knew, there was nothing particularly criminal about him.

_Except for the fact that your parents disappeared from his mortuary._ But I shoved the petulant to the back of my mind, that may have been true but now wasn't the time.

_Thump_. Another book went into my bag.

They were curiously silent, I chanced a glance back at them to find them looking at me expectantly; I must have missed a question in my theorizing.

"Pardon?" I ventured politely. Paul shook suddenly, letting out a long shiver and Sam placing a hand on his shoulder. He stilled.

"I asked you if you went alone." I let out a breath. _Unaffected._ I needed to be _unaffected_. It doesn't matter what they saw, but this needed to stop now.

"Listen, I don't know you. Okay? So stop asking me all these questions and leave me alone." My voice was firm and I pulled my last textbook into my bag before swinging it over my shoulder. The picture of my parents caught my eye and I felt my control slip.

"What do you want with Jared?" Sam asked, his voice gravely, and dangerous. It snapped me back to reality.

"Nothing, he's my-" suddenly I paused, what was he? That moment yesterday, I could have sworn he was going to- again, this was not the time, I reminded myself.

"He's my boyfriend." Jared wasn't quite as large as these two but he could be imposing when he wanted to be and I needed some sort of leverage. It's not like he was ever going to find out.

I had just started to close my locker when Paul's hand pressed against mine and slammed it shut, flipping me around.

Sam stood back and watched, his eyes examining us closely but he wasn't doing anything to stop Paul. I flashed a desperate look but he seemed to ignore me, and continued to watch Paul. It seemed his patience had expired and now he was willing to let Paul take the lead.

_That _worried me more than anything else.

"What are you, _stupid_? Stop lying to me." He enunciated each word by pushing me into my locker and I winced as I felt the pressure starting to grow. That was going leave a bruise.

" What were you doing with Cullen, _Kimmy_?" That word, I couldn't stand it anymore; I exploded at him

"Don't call me that! And get your hands off me." I felt almost proud of myself, and if my voice hadn't been shaking, it would've been halfway convincing.

Paul laughed at that.

I opened my mouth to continue my tirade. But then he took a sudden step towards me. I heard Sam say his name warningly but it did nothing to stop him. His hands pushed against my shoulders uncomfortably, not tight enough to bruise but with enough pressure to know I wasn't going anywhere. I shrunk back at the irritation in his eyes, all my bravado gone. I had to say something; I couldn't let this go any further.

"I-" But just then footsteps echoed out around the corner and to my unimaginable relief Jared turned the corner, stopping in surprise when he saw the hold Paul had me in. His face turned furious, his eyes aligning on the large hands pressing into my shoulders, and he began to jog towards us.

Paul let me go almost instantly, but to my complete shock instead of walking away, he walked directly towards Jared.

The two met halfway down the corridor and I saw Jared glare at him before the look melted into surprise at something Paul said. He then looked at me in alarm, which transformed into annoyance. I had a sinking feeling that I knew what Paul had said to him.

It appeared that Jared was aware of my little lie, and from the looks of it he wasn't too pleased. This was just going to make things between us more awkward. I could have smacked myself for telling Paul, it was so stupid I could have said he was my friend, there was no reason to go and ruin the relationship with the one person that was still talking to me. Who, even after yesterday, I knew I could count on.

I watched Jared turn back to Paul, he reached up with back of his forefinger and rubbed the skin under his chin.

Paul, took a step towards Jared and I ached to be closer so I could hear what was going on but I stayed, my feet firmly planted by my locker.

Sam moved between them and I could have sworn he wasn't there a moment before and he was still behind me.

But there he was, separating them and issuing out what looked like an apology. Jared nodded before turning towards me. I let out a breath of relief as I saw Sam and Paul disappear around the corner.

It was over.

Now I just had to explain that I didn't mean anything by my self-preservation mechanism.

_Great_.

Whether he knew it or not, Jared had just saved me again and yesterday's awkwardness flew from my mind as I watched him cross the hall, his eyes trained on the floor. I was just grateful now. Honestly, I would willing to take the consequences of my lie.

If I had known what he was going to tell me, what he was going to ask of me, however, I might have changed my mind.

"Jared." I breathed and he paused before leaning against the locker next to me, and sliding down to the floor. He patted the floor next to him and I copied his movement.

I wasn't half as graceful as he was when he did it.

"Hey." The word came out low but before he could say anything else, I rushed to explain.

"I'm sorry I said you were my boyfriend, I didn't mean anything by it, it's just that they weren't going away and I panicked." The words came out quickly and jumbled and to my surprise Jared shot me a wry smile before shaking his head.

He bumped my shoulder with his own before starting to talk.

"It's okay." Before I could interrupt him, he held up a hand as if signaling me to wait. "No, really. It shouldn't be, but it is, it's probably not okay how okay it is-"

He paused and an irritated look came over his face and suddenly he looked like he wanted to be anywhere than here having this conversation.

"Kim, you know what happened yesterday can't happen again." He began and I felt the rejection that I'd felt yesterday at our near miss starting to surface again. I looked down at the ground and hugged my knees to me before nodding. But I felt a sudden resentment, he had started that all on his own. Then again, I supposed, as I let the anger flow out of me, I was just as guilty for letting it continue.

I wanted to hear him out.

"You have to know, that, well, Kim, _fuck_." I heard him muttering to himself before starting again, this time more smoothly.

"It's not that I don't like you, I do," he paused for a second, and I would have given anything to have him stop there, to never finish that sentence but life was never that kind.

"It's just that, Nina and I, we have history and I need to-" He broke off again and I felt the tremor as he chucked his head back into the locker in frustration.

This clearly wasn't easy for him.

"Jared, it's okay, look you don't have to explain anything-" I kept my gaze frozen on the floor.

"I do, Kim, cause you don't get it. Not really." He nudged me with his shoulder again silencing me. He smiled before starting up again.

"My mom got really sick a couple years back and money was kinda tight, my dad was ...doing his own thing." He took a breath. "Anyway, Nina lived next door and she used to come over to study-"

"_Nina_ came over to _study_ with _you_." I tried to keep the surprise out of my voice, I really did.

"Well, you know." He winked at me and I felt a sharp jolt in my stomach, that was without doubt the most effortless, sexiest, mind-blowing-_focus_ Kim.

He smirked a little before continuing, his face turning serious once more.

"So we were taking a break and I mentioned the stuff about my mom being sick and she _freaked_ out." I looked up at him at this and he looked like he was trying to figure out how much he should tell me.

I smiled encouragingly and he took a deep breath before continuing on.

"Nina's mom died of cancer when she was four and her dad's always been kinda distant after that. So she used to come over when we were kids and hang out, my mom used to bake her cookies and shit, they were close." He filled in and I widened my eyes in surprise, I had no idea about the Russets' loss.

" But anyway, she flipped out at me when she found out. I've never seen her that upset. She cussed me out so bad, for messing around with her while my mom was sick instead of looking after her. And then she just took over. She came over everyday, even when I wasn't there and sat with my mom. She'd read to her and make her soup and it was pretty fucking _incredible._" He paused again here. The warmth in his voice was undeniable.

I was shocked, I had had no idea that Nina was so...that their pasts were tied together. And suddenly I felt so incredibly ashamed.

I hadn't known, I tried to comfort myself with that wretched, pathetic flimsy excuse. I hadn't known that Nina was a good person. I'd known that all along, Nina had stood up for me once too, and I had never even thanked her for it.

I was ridiculous, I had _promised_ her that I would leave them alone. But I didn't, did I? I kept seeing him. I couldn't stand to look at him it just kept reminding me of how horrible I was.

"Mom got better of course. Anyone would have considering the time Nina spent with her-on her. We never really talk about it, she's not really into that stuff, but I think she saw it as the chance she never got with her mom, you know?" I nodded. I knew all about parental regrets. But Jared didn't know about that so I improvised.

"I can imagine." My voice came out soft and weak. I felt so awful about my behavior and it was working its way through me. How could I have thought even for one moment that yesterday was justifiable? That I was better than Nina Russet? I sunk down further into myself.

"Anyway, so I guess what I'm saying is I feel like I owe it to her to give us-me and her- a shot, like a real shot. She can be impossible sometimes, and complete bitch," his face twisted into a fond grin and I felt him slipping away from me as he thought about his girlfriend.

"But she's good, deep down and all that shit, you know?" He ended, predictably with an expletive. He looked at me then, his face careful and waiting for my response.

I just nodded. I couldn't bring myself to say anything else. What could I say that wouldn't come out incredibly lame and trite? This was so beyond me.

"So I need you to do me a favor." He added in a rush, and suddenly he looked desperate and angry at the same time. Like he would rather be doing anything but this.

"Sure." I looked up at him in surprise. Finally something I could do that didn't involve ruining other peoples lives. I needed to help; I needed to fix all the wrong that I'd so unwittingly and so disastrously caused.

"Anything you need, Jared." I finished, emphatically. But this provoked an even more desolate reaction from Jared, and he looked away from me for a moment and I wondered what could be so horrible. He expelled a harsh breath, thrusting his fingers through his hair and I let myself remember the texture from yesterday. It was so incredibly soft, right there at the base of his neck.

I was completely honest when I'd said I'd do anything. Anything he wanted.

"I need you to leave me alone."

Except that.

I felt myself go into shock, my system not comprehending the fact that he just asked me to stop our tentative friendship. But as if I were independent of my body, I felt myself nod in compliance even though I was screaming that I couldn't in me head that this was too much to give.

"I can't focus on her when you're around Kim-hell, even when you're not around. You're...distracting." He let out a chuckle at that but it sounded hollow and his voice was gruff. He wouldn't look at me.

"Okay." The word came out so quietly that I almost felt like I didn't say it and I could take it back but suddenly he was on his feet and he bent to pull me to mine and I felt his warm grip for the last time. It was so incredibly stable and when he tried to pull away I just held on tighter.

His face softened at that and he squeezed my hands before letting go.

This time, I let him go as well. And I raised my gaze to meet his, I was surprised to find my eyes startlingly dry.

_Good_.

I could do this.

I smiled at him, slightly hysterically, but it was a smile nonetheless.

He nodded at me and I opened my mouth and he looked hopeful, like I would offer him a solution that he hadn't thought of.

"I guess I'll see you around, Jared." I said, my voice as steady as it could have been. But I felt my face start to fall as I realized what I said.

"Or not." I amended, chuckling dryly even though it was the last thing I felt like doing. I felt so disjointed from this situation, like it wasn't happening to me. I was so tired of this whole charade. I just wanted to stop pretending that everything was okay.

I was losing him too. I didn't know what I had done to deserve all this.

It was hard to express what I was feeling just then, it was an odd sort of almost anesthetic numbness that came over me. Sounds were dimmed a little and even Jared looked a little more gray. I breathed but the air was less filling.

I felt his hand on my face suddenly, and it was like the volume was turned up on high then and I heard my heart pounding hard against me. The soft brush of his fingers pressing lightly on my cheek filled my ears and it was the sweetest most wonderful sound I had ever heard. He slid them under my chin and tipped it up. I looked at him in anticipation but he just smiled wryly before pulling his hand away and I almost grabbed it to keep it there but managed to grasp one of my belt loops instead.

He just stared at me for a second before abruptly stepping forward and pulling me to him. His grip, warm and tense, but I couldn't make myself respond. My head came just below his shoulder and I could feel his chest pump up and down as he breathed. A loud thudding just above my ear matched the pace of my own heart and I closed my eyes, resting and pretending just for a second that this was my life.

He pulled away before I could hold on, but he seemed to realize what was happening because both of the hands that were still placed on my shoulders slipped down to my hands. He encased them both in his solid grip and I responded quickly, wrapping my own fingers over his.

He seemed focused, head motionless, and from my vantage point, I could see his eyes tracing the intricacies of the knot our fingers made. But then the bell rang, jerking him into action. He stepped back quickly letting go of me before I was ready, before I could prepare myself for the loss of sensation.

It was as if he'd plucked out all my nerve endings. I felt so numb as he took another step away from me.

And then he turned and walked away down the corridor and I just stood there, in the hallway, my bag dripping down my arm. I waited, and waited, hoping he would look over his shoulder and give me some sign that this wouldn't be a permanent change.

But he never turned back.

I moved to sit under my locker, sliding back down and shifting to where he had been sitting but the warmth was gone.

I couldn't have even that.

I stayed there long after everyone else had come and gone from the corridors. I sat, mutely facing the blank white wall before me. Finally I got up and walked down the hall, tracing Jared's steps.

I turned to look back down the hall, where he never did. And it was completely empty, and it looked so normal, like nothing had changed. Because, quite honestly, if I thought back a week, everything was the same now as it had been then.

What would I do now? Could I really just keep coming back here, and pretending that everything was _normal_ and _fine? _No, not when everything had changed so irrevocably and completely. The thought of sliding back into the dull, muted monotony of school after the past few days seemed unimaginable and even more so now after what had just transpired. But I suddenly realized then that there was little else I could do.

There was no where else for me to go.

But it turned out to be easier than I thought, as Jared didn't show up at school the next day.

In fact, it would be almost three weeks before I saw him again.

_Fin._

_

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_

A/N 2: Book Two will be titled _Model Imprint._


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